No Sound In Space
by LeoOsaka Bakura's stalker
Summary: Sequel to [Happy Heero, Monotone Duo]. Pilots have terrible luck. Gundam pilots have worse. Zechs is being stalked, harmony shatters and of course Heero and Duo get the trying task of replacing the pieces with a little help! 1x2, 3x4 13x6 eventual 5x6
1. 01 Heero

_Leo: Welcome to the first chapter of the Sequel to "Happy Heero, Monotone Duo". As with the last story, I can promise you three things! Humor, Drama, and Zechs being an asshole. I will try to make this story able to be read on its own. But some of the reoccurring jokes will only be understood if you've read the last story. I've decided on a four POV system this time. Starting with Heero, then Duo, Wufei then Zechs and in order, repeating. _

_Pairings: HeeroxDuo (set in stone, and not changing), TrowaxQuatre (also not changing) TreizexZechs, WufeixZechs eventually. _

_Warnings: Language. Sexual innuendos and the occasional ass grabbing. Relena bashing. Random moments of sap, OOCness for the win, some angst, sadly a character death, and Zechs. (Because Zechs is special enough to get his own warning.)_

**No Sound in Space**  
_Chapter One _

Heero

I never thought the day would come. I never thought something could possibly break a man like I saw. Not him. In fact, two impossible things happened that day. But I'm getting ahead of myself. It had been five years. Five years and some eight odd months. I can attest to the fact that those five years had been the best of all our lives. Probably because the war was over. Peace was being preserved. Yes, once in a while we had our missions as Preventers. And that kept everything together. No more crazy Mariemaia happenings, and no more armies of mobile dolls to fight. Life had been peachy. (Poor word choice…I know; and it sounds lame, so sue me.) Then it all just fell to shit really. In Duo's oh so classy words.

It was a Thursday night I think. We had been planning for a group outing. We didn't do it often. Mainly because it would have been so obvious we were a group of gays. Though the only reason they would be able to tell is because of Duo and Zechs, and mostly Quatre. Not to mention sticking so many ex pilots and two previously opposing war ambassadors in the same group was asking for attention. But we'd decided on it.

"Movies are lame these days." Duo complained when the idea was thrown out. We were waiting in the foyer for our two resident blondes, even though Zechs still had some of the brown left in his hair from when Duo mixed hair dye into the wrong bottle months previous.

"Hey, it could be worse…we could go to an art museum." Wufei muttered. He'd made a style of wearing his hair down and committed to the glasses. I think he looked better that way.

"Those are even more lame." Baka agreed.

"We could always watch Zechs and Quatre pick out new purses." I offered and received a handful of chuckles for it.

"Even I will opt to pass on that idea." Treize shook his head. To make a joke like that would only give those two the wicked idea to actually do it. And take hours in doing it and making us watch. I was quickly reminded of the clothes shopping adventure two years before and I decided that was a bad idea after all. Rich blondes are scary creatures.

"There really isn't much to do anymore." Trowa sighed. Sadly he was right.

"I think we should go to the beach!" Came a soft voice from just out of view. It was Quatre. Only Quatre's voice had basically remained unchanged and only he could be so sweet and innocent despite all of the happenings.

"You know, I kinda like that idea, Hee-chan! We don't do that often!" Duo nodded. I was still getting used to the shorter hair on him. It wasn't really short, but over the time of five years he'd decided maybe a foot or two should be cut from it. In comparison to five years before, he was much bigger in size. Not as tall as I, but very close. He and Trowa were about equals in build, though Trowa was now taller than even Treize. Quatre was the smallest. He hadn't changed much, just like his voice. Now Wufei went through a dramatic change. He was taller obviously. We all were. But he was taller than I and I was almost equal with Zechs (bastard still had me by about an inch). Wufei's hair was challenging Zechs for the longest, now that Duo was out of the picture. Some how, unlike Zechs, Wufei managed to still look like a man in doing so.

"There are board walks for that kinda thing," Zechs nodded, following right behind Quatre. The two had this strange connection that had developed in the five years. I seriously think it was the blonde. Of course it might have also been the constant presence of the elder pilot.

Zechs walked toward Treize, like natural, but stepped off to the left before Trowa could move forward.

"Ah, you're getting good at dodging me, Merquise." Trowa smirked with a little hint of amusement under the stoic face.

"I can't be tricked by ass grabbing circus performers forever, Barton."

"We'll see."

"So what are we doing?" Treize asked, casually twirling the keys in his hand.

"You know, the girls got a pretty good idea. Let's go to the beach!" I shrugged. "Worse comes to worse we'll improvise and go somewhere else."

"Yay!" Duo grinned almost stupidly and wrapped his arms about my neck like I'd just blessed his very existence or something.

"You're so easy to please." I shook my head, but pet his hair nonetheless.

"Well come on then! And quit with the mushy love couple stuff. It creeps me out to see the machine acting human." Wufei snorted with a glance directed at me.

"You don't say anything to Treize when he's sucking Zechs' face!" I retorted.

"Because he's a vampire…it's what he does."

Damn. He had me on that one. "Fine, you get the point on that one."

He smirked and led the way out the door. Treize obviously took the wheel because; well he not only had seniority, but was the only one capable of driving that particular vehicle without speeding and getting fifty tickets. That's what happens when you become a pilot. You fail at the rest of life. Except Treize. He actually had common sense. Unlike the majority of us remaining.

The great thing about that car was it was large. So we could fit three people in the front and four in the back. Which was just about perfect. Of course it was also a convertible…So that may have had something to do with it. Trowa, Quatre, Baka and I took the back and Wufei slipped in next to Zechs, who was in the middle. I'm telling you, if I were Wufei I would feel weird, but damn it, he was a good sport about being the only single guy. Actually, I think he liked it.

"Lesson one, when driving, children." Treize started, being a smart ass. A trait he'd begun picking up from Zechs of all people. "When you see a sign that says fifty-five, you drive fifty-five. Not one hundred and ten." He laughed, backing the car slowly from the driveway.

"That was a painful speeding ticket, I'll have you know." Quatre sighed, but there was amusement in his tone.

"Whose fault was that?" Trowa asked. "I don't believe I was there."

"Mine…" Zechs said shrinking in his seat. "I can't help it. I have speed control issues."

Trowa nodded, "At least he admits his faults."

"No one got hurt, so that's the important thing." Treize added, "I do find it amusing that you're entitled to pilot Mobile Suits, yet you can't even keep your driver's license."

"They said they'd give it back after thirty days…"

"More like thirty years knowing you Zechs." Duo chuckled. "I mean, by now I'm sure they know your drivers license number by heart."

"You're probably right and the sick part is: I don't even know my driver's license number! Besides…Treize never lets me go any where alone anyway."

"I'm watching out for you, chéri."

"You're just a possessive old bastard."

Wufei cut in, "Now, now you two. Behave like people older than ten. Treize, you know better than to harass Zechs when she gets moody."

"…I don't even get a damn masculine pronoun anymore?! This is just great! If I grow ovaries, I'm kicking your ass!" He pointed at Treize.

"Then after you do that, you should probably ask Quatre how they got there." I quipped, snickering only a little myself.

"Hey, don't look at me. I don't have a ritual for that." The younger blonde replied with a slight bit of sarcastic humor. We made often jokes of his supposed witchery. I'm telling you, if Treize is a vampire, then Quatre is a witch. (And since we're already concluded on his witchery, all I needed to do was prove that Treize eats human souls for breakfast.)

I leaned back in my seat, taking vague awareness of Baka, who was leaning sort of sideways with his shoulder against mine and his head rested on the crook of my next. Crazy American. He grows on you though. His hair whipped around my face in the wind. The air was nice and crisp and that was nice, if nothing else. It was almost October. Fall was my favorite time of the year. The heat cooled down but it wasn't too cold. It was like a temporary relief before the snow season rolled back around.

I breathed in, but exhaling wasn't as pleasant because the car came to a screeching halt. I heard Quatre's yelp and the four of us in the back seat were thrown against the seats in front of us. Luckily no one was hurt. Well…almost. I finally got my breath and I shook my head clear and leaned forward to see what the deal was. I saw a massive crack in the windshield and I was suddenly not as irritated about why he'd slammed the brakes so hard.

"Oh my god, are you guys okay up there?" Duo asked before I could. He leaned up and looked over the seat. He was sitting directly behind Treize.

Treize sat back slowly. One hand arm had been held out in front of Zechs, which I'm willing to bet was an instant reaction to keep the blonde from taking a dive through the windshield. And judging by the crack in the glass, he would have. I then noticed that Wufei had one of his hands gripping the blonde's arm.

"Zechs?" the Chinese man prodded and Zechs moaned. It seemed he'd hit the windshield pretty hard.

"Chéri?" Treize shifted to lean closer. The two of them pulled Zechs straight. Even from the angle I was at I could see the dazed look. Down the front of his face was a trailing drip of blood.

"It hurts…" He finally said some coherent words, but they wavered.

"Treize, pull over to the side of the road." Quatre asked. We were still in the middle of the road, at that moment no one was driving down that side of the road, but it would help to be out of the way, just in case. Treize naturally agreed with this and slowly backed out of the road. As he shut off the engine, I hopped out and went to inspect the windshield. I had to wonder…

"Zechs, how bad does your head hurt?" I asked, actually climbing up the hood to get eye to eye with the glass. Zechs didn't say anything, he just kinda mumbled, while Quatre was helping Treize wipe the blood from his head.

"Treize, why did you stop so fast?" Duo asked, which would have been my next question.

"There was a black car that pulled out from that cross way right in front of me. It was going entirely too fast. Or at least…I was sure there was a car there." He paused, "I wouldn't have stopped like that if there hadn't been, but there seems to be no sign of it."

"You didn't hallucinate it, if that's what you're thinking. I saw it too." Trowa offered.

I listened to them talk while I was checking the variations in the glass. There was no way Zechs had hit the windshield that hard and left no large swears of blood splattered all over the glass. In fact, there was no sign he'd hit the windshield at all. Both Treize and Wufei had secured the unfortunate middle person in the front seat. The crack on the glass wasn't going outward and the source was small with a hole about an inch at widest in the center. This was easy to deduct, having seen that.

"Treize. Someone just tried to shoot Zechs." I stated, looking through the windshield at the ex. Commander. "There's no trace of blood on the windshield. You held him back, didn't you?"

"Yes…" He looked baffled, "But I should have seen that if it had been the case. And if that had been it, wouldn't a shot fired that close have killed him?" He made a point, though not liking the concept of the point. Being made.

"If they were firing a little shit pistol then the glass would have cushioned the hit. With a silencer it would have been easy to not have heard." Wufei reasoned. It was plausible. I'd seen it before.

Treize pulled Zechs a little bit closer to him and leaned his head against his shoulder for Quatre to gain quicker access to the injury. Zechs looked like he was coming out of his temporarily stunned state. The focus was returning to his eyes, but he didn't make an effort to move. "Baby, can you hear us?" Treize pressed the blonde for an answer, but lightly.

The muffled reply came as: "Mmm…shit…"

"Goodness," Quatre said. He had switched places with Trowa and sat in the middle of the backseat, leaned forward to aid is fellow blonde. "I think he may need stitches…I hate to say it, but it does look like a bullet wound."

"Wufei, look for a stray bullet in the car. I'm going to see if there's any shell casings." Trowa said, hopping out himself. Wufei knew all about being shot at. It happened to him almost six years before, but he didn't retain any injuries from it. The Preventers were on that one quick.

"We should be thanking someone that you have such a hard head Zechs, other wise that could have killed you." Duo added, hopping out to follow Trowa. I saw Duo pointing to something. It had appeared that he'd seen something, which resulted in his decision to tail the man. "At least we have proof of another vehicle." He said.

"Tire tracks. They must have been going fast."

"Fast enough for Treize to not have seen them clearly." I concluded.

"It's been years since we've been living normal lives for years now. It's natural for us to have missed a thing or two. We're not as sharp as we were before." Quatre's voice was like a wave of calm. It managed to make each of us a little less concerned. Though there was a constant ping in the back of my mind telling me that something was terribly off.

"Let's take him to Sally. They're stationed here for a few months. I don't trust a hospital, and it might do us good to alert the Preventers. If someone is out to kill Zechs, they might go after Relena was well and as much as I hate to admit it, if either of them die by assassination, another war is likely to start." It was my best suggestion. That way Zechs could get his injury checked too. We have shit luck, if nothing else in the world was true.

"Right." Quatre nodded. "Zechs? You heard that right? Were going to take you to Sally."

"Okay..." He actually replied, even though it was slow. He sounded like a guy suffering from a massive migraine, who didn't want to talk or move.

Wufei's voice rejoined the conversation pool, "Well, we have confirmation." He held up the evidence of a small and distorted bullet. That tiny thing would never have made it through the windshield with enough force to actually kill him. A thought occurred to me. Who ever shot at him must have had some damn good aim. Because if they had been shooting with a really threatening artillery, Zechs would have been dead. I think that was the first time I'd recognized an actual shudder pass through my body. Zechs could have been killed and we would have never been expecting it.

And the worst thing of it all…The real assault hadn't even come yet.

**To be continued….  
**

* * *

_Leo: Sorry for a shortish first chapter (for me anyway…I like long chapters…damn it.) I'm basically setting the stage in the first four chapters of this one. You'll see what I'm doing as it progresses. This story will focus very heavily on Zechs and Wufei after those four chapters are over. Be patient with me. I'm trying to develop this story a little more than it's prequel. For those of you who followed that story to this one, I love you guys and I hope you enjoy this one just as much! (I promise some wacky shit in this one too, once the serious part is over!) _


	2. 02 Duo

**No Sound In Space**  
_Chapter 2 _

Duo

Sitting in the hospital wing, I still couldn't believe someone had actually shot at Zechs. I mean, sure, he was a dangerous man and possibly the most dangerous man of all of us at one time; but now…Now he was just Zechs. Not Milliardo, trying to destroy Earth, or the 'Lightening Count'. He was just a normal guy…with a strange devotion to Treize and a seriously nice ass. Hey, you know I'm right about his ass. Trowa's wandering hands do not lie. But even so, I couldn't think of why anyone would start something then. Peace had reigned supreme over time and the world seemed to forgive the misconduct of both Zechs and Treize. I guess it was true that no matter the situation…there would always be a crazy person out there, trying to ruin what had become good.

This was a point in time where we weren't expecting it. And it would only get worse.

"How does that feel?" The tender voice of Noin asked the blonde.

"Like hell." He replied, wincing at the pressure applied by his would-have-been girlfriend.

Zechs was no longer in a stupefied state and could speak coherently, much to the appreciation of the rest of us. Treize hadn't stopped fawning over him, until Zechs had practically begged him to go retrieve coffee or something. Heero had gone to speak with Lady Une while Noin and Sally made sure our longhaired blonde hadn't been seriously injured.

"You're lucky Zechs." Noin smiled, looping the needle for another stitch. I was sitting next to Zechs, holding the hand that kept twitching with its natural desire to attack anything that came too close to his personal space. Zechs was a mess. "If your head had been turned in even the slightest bit further to the left, you'd be dead."

"Death doesn't like me, or so it seems."

"Maybe god doesn't want to deal with you yet."

"God is an asshole. Scratch that, god doesn't exist." He snorted sardonically.

"I knew you were a faithless blasphemer." Heero added in his own witty bit, returning with something in hand. "I pulled this from the car. I assume it's yours. You must have been thrown forward pretty quick, because it looks like it broke off your neck." Heero handed the object to Zechs, who took it into his possession with care.

I leaned forward, very curious now. I'd never noticed him wearing a necklace. "Oooh, what's that?"

Blondie didn't look at me, because of Noin's work; but he held the object in his free hand out so I could see it clearer. It was a gold chain and it was looped about a ring. Not like the ring he actually wore, but a different ring. It was more decorated, rich in design and I could make out very fancy feather looking patterns on it. "Wow…who the hell gave you such a gorgeous thing?"

"Treize." He replied simply. I looked up. I was actually alarmed by that. I never would have thought of either being sentimental about something like that, but it seemed there were things we still didn't know about the crazy pair. "He gave it to me just before I turned seventeen. He said that I was majestic, like an angel. I told him he was full of shit. I was very brash back then. Not really respecting him like I should have. And so he gave me this to remind me that I have angel wings too. He was very crazy about metaphors."

"And I still am, chéri. I feel pleased that you've actually kept it." The rich baritone of Treize voice brought attention to him. He set down the cup brought for Zechs and casually took the piece of jewelry from his lover to inspect it. "My, I'll have to get this fixed. To think you didn't melt this thing down into buttons or something crazy, when you were so irritable with me."

"You were dead…and I was mourning. I was only pissed at your rude disloyalty to me. But that's so far in the past I don't care. You've almost made it up to me."

"Almost?" A ginger eyebrow lifted.

"Yes. I said I wouldn't make it easy. Of course that doesn't mean I'm smitten any less." The blonde winced at Noin. Having her poking more holes in his head must have been unpleasant, but it would have been worse if she hadn't known about his extensive relationship with Treize. It was difficult watching him tell her. I can only imagine what it would have been like in his shoes. She didn't seem to be bothered by the idea anymore, though and I'm sure Zechs was grateful.

"Looks like a promise ring." Wufei noted, peering over Treize's arm. "You're all sorts of classy aren't you, Kushrenada?"

"I try to be."

"Is that what it is, Treize?" Zechs asked. I'm sure if he weren't having his head poked at, he would have looked at the amber haired man. "A promise ring?"

"I had assumed you knew that." Treize laughed heartily.

There was a surprised little gasp from Zechs. It was really cute actually. I guess even someone like him can gave his moments of innocent shock. "You're…serious?"

"I don't have jewelry custom made for just anyone, chéri."

"There." Noin smiled before there could be any reply. She sat back and placed the items on the tray next to Zechs. He was sitting on the table for lack of a better place or rather he was being a stubborn ass and wanted to sit on the table. "All I have to do it bandage it, and you're good to go." She added. "I'll be right back, don't mess with it, understand?"

"Yes mother." Zechs rolled his eyes after she ruffled his hair up a bit. She left the room and Treize walked over to him idly.

"My, it looks like you've quite a wound there, love." He smiled softly gently touching Zechs's forehead with his thumb.

"God doesn't love me, Treize."

"Sure I do." The ex. General replied almost instantly and I snickered. That was pretty freaking clever.

"Cocky bastard." Zechs shook his head, but slowly.

"Someone has to be overbearingly conceited, love. Since you don't like to, I have to make up for your half."

"That's like the fourth time you've called me 'love'."

"Would you rather I call you other things? I don't think 'bitch' would sound as sweet. "

"You're only allowed to call me that when you talk dirty to me."

I blushed at that thought. Treize talking dirty to Zechs. That even sounded off the wall. Classy Treize calling Zechs a bitch. Then again, it was rather clear that Zechs was the bitch. Against Treize, I can't imagine anyone would dominate. Not to mention Zechs looked so adorable when Treize bestowed so much affection and attention on him. It brought the ex. Epyon pilot back from the dead I think. I remembered what he was like even months after Treize's supposed death. At the time I hadn't realized why he was acting like life didn't matter to him and getting shit faced drunk every night seemed like a second hobby to the man. But now that I realized it…it made me smiled looking at the two. It reminded me of Heero and I. Two very troubled people changed by a little piece of solace in each other.

I leaned closer to Heero. He had been standing next to me. I looped my arm around his waist and rested my head against his chest. "Hee-chan, you never give me pet names." I whined, but heartlessly. The fact that he let me so close made me happy.

"I call you baka."

"That's not a pet name!" I huffed, but stopped shortly, "But…I'll take it." He smiled down on me and put his hand on my head affectionately. He still wasn't' the most open person in the universe, but he was getting better. He ran his fingers through my hair. I liked it when he did that. My hair had been cut, significantly, but yet, some how it really wasn't much shorter than when I first met Heero. He had said he liked my hair down. So I simply braided it less. Not that I ever stopped braiding it completely. I just started to like it being worn loose a lot more. People often asked if Zechs and I were related because of the similar hairstyle and the way we spoke to each other. He didn't have the heart to tell people the brown stained blonde hair he donned wasn't his most natural color. We were still trying to get he little bit of brown tint out of his hair.

I smiled softly as Zechs was all but purring at Treize.

The atmosphere of the room was killed when through the door came Lady Une. She was irritable to see Treize fawning Zechs. She always would be. She cares so greatly for Treize, that I'm sure she thought the Blonde ex. Pilot was her arch nemesis. Even though she already lost that battle a long time ago. She had that professional, 'some serious shit is going on,' look. She had a file in her hands and Sally coming in at her side. Noin was just coming through the door with supplies when she stopped to listen in on what the Lady was going to say.

"Listen up, guys. We've got word from our reliable sources that you guys have been being tailed for quite some time. I don't know what the offenders are trying to do, but I'm to assume they were trying to make it look like a car accident. Fortunately for us, they're not a smart bunch, or they really underestimated the windshield of a group of ex. Gundam pilots. Regardless, Zechs, you are in serious danger. Some of our other Preventers located the car. It blew up before we could get in it. The only thing we managed to get out of the car was this." She opened the folder and collected the small pile of something into her hand to hand to the blonde man.

He took them and I didn't hesitate to linger over his shoulder to look myself. They were photos. A handful of them too. Zechs shifted through them and I grew both concerned and fearful at the same time. Photo after photo, and they were all pictures of him! With us, with Treize, or by himself. He was in them all. And most of them were in our house!

"Holy shit…" He finally said, looking at a picture of he and Treize making a disaster out of the kitchen trying to make cookies. I remembered that. Those cookies looked terrible, but they were so good… "These people are full blown stalking me." He looked up. "Why? I haven't done anything in the last five years, so why now?"

"Maybe they assume you're not as sharp as before. Or maybe they want to easily remove you from the scene without getting attention on themselves…But they mistook your peaceful life. If you were really helpless you wouldn't have turned your head the way you did when you saw the gun go off."

Treize turned to look at Zechs, "You saw the gun go off?" He looked confused. Even he hadn't seen it and he was driving. None of us had seen the actual firing of the gun. Trowa and Treize saw the car, but the rest of us didn't even see that!

"Yes…but it was last minute…I didn't even get a chance to say anything. I wouldn't have seen it if I hadn't been staring off to the side. Not paying attention actually saved my life for a change."

"I wish that worked with me," I snorted.

Zechs continued to sift through more pictures and Lady Une kept talking, "Since you're all Preventers, I think he's safe in your protection. He couldn't have a better group of bodyguards, but you need to move to a different location. We're sending coded messages to try and arrange a place on colony L5 for you. Of all places L5 is the least likely to be the first place they'd look for you."

"I can help you ensure we get arrangements there. I'm from L5." Wufei offered. I knew it would be hard for him to go back, but at that point I think he was more genuinely concerned for Zechs.

"We'll do that then. I have a laptop I can let you use in here to make it quicker." She said, going to the bag that she had apparently left at the door.

"This isn't me." Zechs said flatly. At that point everyone stopped. The tone of his voice was strange and it was attention drawing. I glanced over what he was talking about. It was a photo, like the rest. But the background was unfamiliar. It was from the chest up and the expression on the face was one of malice I'd never seen on Zechs. Even in his war days when we fought against him.

"Are you sure?" Heero asked, but I knew he knew it wasn't Zechs.

"No…this…this is not me. For one, I don't have my ears pierced, for two, I can't think of a time in my entire life where I've ever worn an outfit like that…and this man is younger than I am…"

Treize leaned over to look at the picture himself. If anyone would be able to confirm for Zechs's life it would probably be Treize. "…He's right. That is absolutely not him."

Lady Une stepped forward and took the picture from Zechs, who had held it out to her. "Then who is this? I mean; he looks exactly like you, down to the eye color and crazy hair around your face."

"That is a good damn question…"

"I'm going to take this to see if it's been doctored. Until then, the seven of you need to be very careful. I don't know why you're being targeted, or what for, but we'll look into it as deeply as we can. Until then, we'll get you all settled into the few apartments we have empty upstairs. Tomorrow we'll transport you to a safer place."

"Sounds like a plan." Heero nodded.

"But before that." Noin cut in. "I'm not finished with that hard head of yours Merquise." She smiled at him as if she took pride in making him uncomfortable as hell.

"Goody."

"Come with me Wufei and we'll set up a secure network so you can get in touch with whomever you need to." Lady Une said and the Chinese man nodded, following her out of the room.

"Gotta say again, Zechs, you're lucky."

"Lucky is not the word I would attach to me." The blonde replied to the shorthaired woman with a wince. She was using medical tape to make sure the bandage stuck, but gentleness didn't seem to be her strong point.

"I don't know, chéri." Treize said, hopping up on the table next to Zechs. "You've got me."

"If you weren't so damn loveable your arrogance would be aggravating."

Noin stepped back with a grin, "All done!" She tucked the remaining items into the bag they came from. "You know, I just can't imagine why someone would want to shoot you. With a face like that, I don't think I could do it." She winked and I joined her in giggling over the change in color of his face. "Now Treize on the other hand." She looked at him.

"Your words… they wound me, good lady." Treize looked at her with a sly but almost pouting expression.

"Just call it payback," She chuckled, patting him on the shoulder as she walked passed him, "For stealing my boyfriend."

"You don't seem to be having too much trouble accepting that Noin." Heero said. I was a little surprised, but over the years Heero had gotten better about actually speaking to people. I saw him glance at Noin then over to Sally and it clicked. I smiled.

"Perceptive as always, Heero." She said. "We'll prepare your rooms for the night." She left the room with Sally.

"I saw that one coming." I whistled.

"Who didn't?"

"Hey guys," Quatre spoke, gaining full attention. "I got a call from Rashid while you guys were talking." So that was why he had been so quiet. "And he said that someone had tried to hijack the Gundam carriers."

"No shitting?" I said with shock. We had decided to keep the Gundams with the Maganac corp. for safety reason, but for someone to actually attempt to steal the suits from them was practically suicide!

"Luckily they only made off with one of the decoys. But still, that means the Gundams are being sought after again."

"And it's suspicious," Trowa added, "since Zechs just got shot at."

"Do you think we're being circled here? I mean, what if we're being distracted from something?" I asked. Many more questions arose, but there was no answer that could be offered.

"It's hard to say Duo," The shorthaired blonde shook his head.

The door creaked as it opened again, "Well whatever's going on it had something to do with this man." Lady Une spoke in that eminent voice of hers. She held up the picture from before. The one that looked like Zechs. "It's not fake. This photo is real, I can tell you why, because they found more photos while breaking down the remains of the car. And there's something you should see." She held out another one and we all stopped breathing right then and there.

It was a photo of the last Christmas gathering. You could see half of Quatre in one corner. Heero and I were behind the railing and Zechs, Treize and Wufei were all talking about something beside the fireplace. But that wasn't the unusual part. The unusual part was the form none of us had seen. In the far background, not even ten feet from Noin in the photo was another figure hidden by the shadows of the balcony. He was looking directly at the camera and pointing toward Zechs. The creepy thing was it was the guy from the picture. The Zechs body double.

"This is starting to freak me out a little bit…" Zechs finally admitted. "He's throwing a direct challenge at me. He's making it obvious. And this…this means there is someone with the potential to either be me or replace me."

"Or maybe it's not _you_ he's trying to replace…chéri." Treize added and I had to contemplate the possible meaning. "Maybe…he's trying to be Milliardo."

"…But…why?"

Good question.

**To be Continued…**

_Leo: I've had this story planned in my head for quite some time before the other one finished. Unlike the last one, the plot will develop early and dwindle before closing up with a bang. I plan to use every instance in my favor. So this time you get humor, flirty sexy boys, and a real developed plotline. Plus two new points of view. This story is likely to be longer than the other and all chapters will be at the very least 3000 words or 8 pages. Unlike the last story that started with a 4 page chapter. All questions will eventually be answered. Lets just say Zechs is in for a hard road ahead. If you've noticed I'm belting out chapters very quickly. I have managed this because of you guys! Your enthusiasm for my stories makes me want to write! The response on this one already is astounding and promise not to disappoint! Thank you all so very much! And I hope you enjoyed the second chapter! _


	3. 03 Wufei

_Leo: My first chapter ever of Wufei's point of view! Be patient with me on this, I'm a n00b at Wufei!_

_(Also, someone actually noticed the mention of L5, despite its unfortunate fate in the series, I actually have a plan for it. I promise. And it does tie in with the plot! As I mentioned in the authors note of my last chapter, all questions will be answered eventually)! _

**_And as for the multitude of comments on Duo's hair_**_. Can you really expect him to not cut it for FIVE years? Do you know how long his hair would be? MY hair would have grown four feet in that time…So for him to cut his hair a few feet after those years would leave his hair pretty much the same length as before. If you've read Episode Zero, then his hair is a few inches shorter than what they showed his hair as when he was at the Church. It's still long and still braid-able. It just so happens that Zechs and Wufei opted not to cut their hair as much in this time span in this fic. (Zechs can sit on about half a foot of his hair if he wanted to, if you're trying to get a visual for this.) I'm trying to incorporate some REAL life habits here. Bear with me guys. _

**No Sound in Space**  
_Chapter 3 _

Wufei

I sat before the computer, waiting for the connection to stabilize. I knew it was a stupid idea to offer my assistance. I didn't really want to confer with the newly reestablished colony. I had managed to keep it out of thought for several years since its reconstruction. It had been left in pieces after the explosion. Or barely. Why they would put the effort forth to rebuild it, was beyond me. But the few remaining members of the original clan had begged and pleaded for it to be done. Tradition won.

I hadn't known they had survived. I had assumed everyone had been on the colony and died. Some how, the news of survivors didn't affect me. I was content where I was. I had no desire to return. _Her_ spirit resided within the mended steel of my once shattered home. I wasn't avoiding it because of that, but I didn't need memories to come in and make me feel guiltier than already. It was bad enough I never loved her like a husband should, but that was neither her nor my choice. I forgave the man who caused her death and my truest affection fell upon another person, to whom it shouldn't have.

It was for this reason I was willing to try and contact the remaining relatives of Meilan. They would naturally submit to any request I had and at that moment…as stupid as it sounded, my whole focus was on keeping that blonde pilot safe.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Une said hesitantly to me. I looked up at her, over the brim of my glasses.

"Woman, if I didn't want to, I wouldn't have volunteered." It seemed, even after so long, my respect for women wasn't very high. Especially women like her. She was stupid enough to risk death for a man who had no regard for his life. She now had no reason to dislike me, because I hadn't killed Treize after all; but she didn't always feel that way. There had been that time when she was still embittered. But at that point I was laughing in her face because she still couldn't have Treize. Treize was infatuated with my same source of infatuation. The difference between Une and I was that I was less obsessive about it. She showed the occasional twitch at Zechs because he took Treize; but I did not do the same to Treize because he had Zechs. Actually, Treize was a fine man to fence with as well as cut up like immature teenagers generally do. It was their choices. No one can compete with mutual affection.

Now all I had to do was get Duo to see that and quit bothering me about whether or not I was 'crushing' on Zechs or Treize. Though he had assumed it to be Treize, I think.

"No need to get uppity Chang, I was merely asking." She clipped and thankfully shut up. Obnoxious woman. At least that split personality nonsense was over.

"Just open me a direct line." _And let's get this over with. _

She leaned forward to type in several commands and passwords and a bunch of other things that I could have easily figured out myself, had my mind not been on other things. I hadn't seen the car they had spoken of and it bothered me. There could have been a dead blonde sitting next to me and I wouldn't have known why. I didn't like that I had become so inattentive. I didn't approve of how much my quick senses had dimmed. Treize saw the car, but I didn't. In a way that irked me more. But there was nothing to be done. I was pleased that I had had a good enough reaction to grab Zechs before he did hit the windshield; but between Treize and I…that wouldn't have happened anyway. That damn blonde was protected better than he thought.

"It's open." Une said snapping me back to the consciously thinking world. There was a window open and I would distinctly make out a bad visual feed. "You can choose to type or talk."

"I'll talk." I replied. Speaking was faster and more efficient.

She hooked up a microphone and adjusted the return visual. She left the room when a young man entered with news. The screen cleared a bit as the connection stabilized. The face became apparent. I knew who the person was, but I wasn't closely acquainted with him. I hadn't been married to Meilan long enough for a deep family connection to form between her family and I.

'Wufei,' the voice acknowledged, 'you're still alive, what a surprise!'

"Same to you, cousin of the bride." I replied sardonically. He was the closest thing to a brother Meilan had ever spoken of. He never liked me and I never like him. He participated in the same competitive school studies and he lost to me. Naturally he was bitter. "I had been left to assumed no one survived."

'Well, like you, not all of us were on the colony itself at the time.'

"Luck seems to be with you." I resisted any other questions I might have had. I would get the chance to question it later. "Allow me to just get to the point, I can't take long, lest our lines be hacked. We need accommodations on L5, if that's what you still call it there, that is."

'We do. It's our home…built of what was left over, and then some. But might I ask why you need accommodations? I can see that you're communicating through the Preventers.'

"One of our own is being targeted. I don't need to give out any more information. Dear family by marriage, do you think you could manage it? For your kin?"

I knew it was a terribly uncivilized thing for me to do, using tradition to make it happen. I knew the ways of the Long clan and it was assured that Une would never have gotten them to agree to stow away someone like Zechs.

'…It can be done.' He replied with a clip in his voice. 'I can expect you as early as fourteen hours, if you think you need to be here that quickly.'

"Expect us in twenty-four."

'I look forward to your arrival.' He was just being polite now. He was under obligation to me because I was the husband of his—now dead—cousin. I was actually the true heir to the Long clan…and if I decided to go back, I could drop him out of the family's head position. Not that there was much of a family left.

"As do I." I replied, but there was no feeling in the conversation. It was all a front to avoid the serious confrontation. I shut the laptop closed, cutting off the transmission immediately. I turned without thought and looked up at Sally, who had entered only a moment before and hovered over me. "It's done."

"Just like that?" She looked surprised. "They give us a hard time just letting us stop on their colony to check cargo!"

I stood, with no intention of staying in that room away from the others. "We have history," I explained in no detail and continued walking. She could wonder for all I care. The only person I ever told about Meilan and her family had been Zechs. I was his confidant, with whom he could talk to when Treize was getting on his nerves; and he was mine, when I felt like the past was attacking me again. You can only wonder why it was I felt an obligation to protect him in any way I could manage.

I reentered the room where the others were discussing over something. Une had already made it back to them and she looked like something new had happened.

"What did I miss?" I asked.

"Zechs has a body double apparently," Une handed me one of the many photos she had in her hand. "Take note of the seventh figure in that picture."

I did. And it confused me a lot. According to this photo, there were two accounts of Zechs! "This is…bazaar." I concluded. It seemed the best word for the moment.

"Even more bazaar…He's younger than I am." The blonde himself, stood and walked towards me. He was flipping through pictures as he walked and he finally stopped on one, the first picture that was proclaimed to not be him. Having a close up look, it was actually noticeable that he was younger.

"I don't like this at all…Especially that there's photographic evidence…and they handed it to us…" Heero muttered. If Heero was suspicious, then we all were.

"On the upside, I managed to get us an easy pass to L5. So we can figure this all out when we get there. We should be safe." I assured, sifting through more pictures. Some of these would have been great shots to keep, had a stalker not taken them. The one with Blondie and I laughing ourselves into Oblivion over Treize's alarming defeat in tennis against Heero was priceless, though.

"Lady Une, can we keep these?" Zechs asked. "Or are they needed?"

"I've had them all duplicated for inspection. Our digital copies should suffice us. None of the photos themselves had prints for any trace of anything that could give us a clue to who is behind this."

"I guess that means you can use your mad scrap booking skills on them, Fei." Maxwell laughed. Hah, he thought I was joking. Wait until I show him the pictures I managed to collect of him. He would die of humiliation at a good deal of them.

"I like this one." Treize said with a smirk. It was still strange as hell to see him looking so…normal. He was seated Indian style on the table now, holding a picture out. _Oh lord_.

"Oh my god, that is a terrible picture of me!" Zechs said in a garbled tone as he snatched it from Treize. "I look like a zombie when I'm drunk."

I leaned forward and took a look myself, "Well…you're a good looking zombie, if nothing else." I smirked.

"Oh! And we have a 'drunk' part two!" Treize held out the other one. This one had both Zechs and I in it. It looked like we were in the kitchen slamming down what appeared to be Wild Turkey. Zechs's favorite.

"Oh! I remember that!" Duo giggled, hopping over to get up close and personal with the picture. "That was when the two of you were having a contest to see who could drink more without spewing or passing out."

"And I won that one, damn it." Blondie smirked at me with a victorious air of confidence.

"You must drink like a fish to be able to have not died with how much you put down." Heero added.

He was silent for a moment. I'm sure no one else saw it, save for maybe Heero; but he glanced at Treize ever so slightly and then replied: "I've done my share of drinking."

"Why so somber, chéri? If nothing else, this should make it better." Treize interrupted. I think he knew where that was going. He handed over another picture. This one was priceless. Pure priceless. I remembered when it happened. I was in the kitchen and I was trying to cook and teach Zechs's how to peel potatoes without annihilating them. Trowa had just walked in and casually done for the refrigerator and per usual, made his daily sneaky ass-grab attempt. It was a ritual anymore. I was amused and a little surprised, when Zechs grabbed the wooden spoon from the counter next to him and nailed Trowa's hand before it reached its target. Looking at the picture made me smile a bit, but then I remembered that it was a damn stalker who took it. Talk about killing a happy memory.

"You know, after we catch this guy." Heero asked, looking at the ones being handed to him. "We should ask him how many more pictures he has…and if we can have those too."

"What I wonder," Trowa spoke, stealing Treize's cup of coffee directly from the man's hands, "is how they took all of these pictures…without us noticing?"

"Coffee thief," Treize muttered, "If you'll notice, all of the pictures come from either a window or a very dark spot in the house. That means they've been in the house before."

Blondie crossed his arms and reclaimed his spot on the table, not caring that Treize was sitting there. The look on Treize's face when he realized he had a lap full of Zechs was something to chuckle over. "…It brings up another good point…if they've been in the house and they've gotten that close to us…then why didn't they take me out then? That shot was fired directly at me. The man's eyes locked with mine. Sadly it was so fast that I didn't see anything more than that look in his eyes and the gun of course…"

"I'm sure we'll figure out what is going on, love," the elder man assured wrapping his arms around Zechs's shoulders. Zechs looked small compared to him at that moment. Treize had his legs folded in the same style a man might meditate in and Zechs was sitting in his lap like Treize was a chair. I won't lie in saying I wasn't a little jealous of him. I wouldn't have minded a lap full of Blondie, as Duo would have said.

"It's disconcerting…that's all," Zechs sighed.

"We seem to have a lot of disconcerting moments in our lives." Quatre sighed. I know he, as much as the rest of us, wanted peaceful lives. He didn't want to have to be a hero anymore. And truthfully, neither did I.

"Oh! Hey remember that moment a couple weeks ago where I said I would give my left leg to have a picture of it?" Duo asked.

I raised and eyebrow and looked at him, "Which moment, baka?"

"This one!" He said, flaunting another photo in my face. I took a look and grinned. That was the time Zechs and I had been cooking and some how go into a playful spat. I had picked him up and threatened to dunk his head in the sink full of water. But he resisted and sprayed me with the hose from the sink. The others ran in when I slipped and the two of us hit the floor.

"That was a moment to remember." Zechs laughed and looked up at me. "Between you and Trowa I don't stand a chance. You two never let me win. Only Heero lets me win…but I think it's to save my ego."

"I'm not that nice…" Heero replied, but there with mirth in his tone and a grin on his face.

"You know…We shouldn't be taking this so lightly…" Zechs sighed after a moment, "these people know our wholes lives practically…but…it's so hard, to not think fondly at all this." He said, laying the photos out on his lap and parts of the table. "These are our memories…"

"The only real memories we have, if you think about it." Trowa nodded.

"I wish this anxious feeling would go away. I know we're all the most skilled and, might I add, best looking there is; but this person has had quite a while to learn our habits."

"Love, don't think about it right now. You're already injured and it would be salt on the wound to give yourself a headache." Treize pet his hair lovingly.

"I guess you're right." He sighed.

"Oh my god! Are you wearing pants in this picture?" Duo's voice killed the somber mood, if nothing else.

"The real question is…what is Treize doing to you?" Heero added and raised his eyebrows. I slid over to take a look myself. I have no shame in looking at things I probably shouldn't.

I blinked at the photo and tried to stop the heat from turning my face as red as Duo's turned, "I can't decide which question I want to know the answer to more." I added with a cough.

Zechs hopped up and snatched the photo, hiding it from our view. He hopped back into place and looked at it. Treize did too. They both about froze to ice with how pale they turned. "Oh…" Zechs covered his mouth with a hand and held the photo with the other.

"You know…if they'd taken that photo five minutes later…" Treize brushed the single strands from his face. A habit I'd noticed he did when he was either nervous or embarrassed. He rarely did it, but it was noticeable when he did.

"And I would have wanted to see that." Trowa smirked. He was standing behind Treize looking at the photo and sipping the man's coffee.

Treize turned to Trowa and reclaimed his coffee mug, without much of a fight from Trowa. He stuck his tongue out at the tall acrobat and took a drink out of the mug, promptly returning it afterward, "I hope you like it, I backwashed."

"I've had my tongue down your boyfriend's throat, I don't think a little backwash from you will kill me," Trowa smirked and drank from it anyway. No one beat Trowa. Not Heero, not Zechs, not Treize, and not even I.

Treize shook his head, "How, Quatre, do you put up with him?"

"I encourage his behavior, naturally," Quatre chuckled sipping from his own mug. "What's a little harmless flirting, when I know it's me he loves?"

"Harmless flirting is ass grabbing, Quatre," Duo snorted, "Trowa put the French in kiss when he landed that one on Zechs a couple weeks ago."

"I would have dragged him up the stairs and had my way with him, had I not been confident that Treize would have shot me." Trowa grinned in that strange monotonous way he does. I knew there was a pervert under that stoic expression.

"How do you listen to him talk like that?" Duo asked Quatre.

"Oh…I would have been watching, Duo." Quatre giggled at Duo's look of surprise.

"Ahem." A voice reminded us of the issue at hand. The whole group of us was very attention deficit and often got side tracked. Une brought our attention back. "We're ready with rooms for you."

"Ah, then let's get settled in. A little dinner is in order after that!" Maxwell looked too happy I tell you. Considering the events of this shitty night, no one should have been happy. But we were all so used to our content lifestyles…

We were in for a rude awakening.

**To be continued…  
**

* * *

_Leo: I'm trying to move this along quickly yet slowly at the same time, bear with me guys. I want there to be plenty of chapters of harmony before the big BAM. Someone's life is about to suck dramatically (as if you can't tell what the main plot is here…but I promise, none of you will expect where this is going once I get over the first tragedy.). I'm really happy you guys are taking to this and I thank you for your reviews! I'm actually proud of myself for how much I've written in the last week or so! Chapter three is finished already and I just started this story! Go Leo!_


	4. 04 Zechs

No Sound In Space   
_Chapter Four _

Zechs

I put on a decent, collected front; but truthfully, I was worried. I was more worried that no one else saw what I did. I hadn't expected them to see the person in the car, but at least the gun being fired, or maybe even the car. Treize had always told me that I had the fastest reflexes he'd ever seen, but could that really be the only reason I saw what they didn't? Did no one else really see the blue eyes belonging to the one that fired the gun at me? I supposed it was possible, but it set me off a little more. To be even more honest, I was still a little dazed. I was coherent, but when I stood it felt like everything was spinning. I didn't say anything. I didn't need to make them pointlessly worry; and I knew that between Treize and Quatre alone, I would be drowned by their combined concern.

I knew something serious was going on the moment that Lady Une started acting nice to me. She never did that. The woman loathed me to degrees that were almost frightening. She had devoted so much to Treize; but she can't blame me for his choice. If I had the power to control Treize's impulses, he would have listened to me when I told him to leave me alone and would probably be with her now. But he chose to pursue me until I caved.

"Carry me." I mumbled, leaning my head back against his chest. He wouldn't deny me. I would play it like I was being stubborn and he wouldn't think twice about the possibility that walking for too long would probably result with me on the floor, dazed.

"Oh? Such an odd request, love, but I would be delighted to!" _Yes, Treize, you can have your moment of glory. I'm letting you carry me…I never let you do it. So enjoy it, you lovable bastard._

I repressed a little mutter of surprise when he lifted me. I should not have been surprised by his strength. He had been my superior for a reason, but it is still alarming that he could lift me so easily. Wufei, Trowa and Heero could do it then too. My days of being bigger than them ended when they shot up like damn plants soaked in miracle grow. I was almost unfair. My advantage against Trowa had been lost, especially. He was strong enough to lift me off my feet just by pressing me against the wall, as we discovered when I tried to high tail it out of the kitchen and failed. Miserably.

I subconsciously leaned my head against Treize's chest. I couldn't help it. I was a little tired. You take a shot to the head and see how 'fun' and painless it is. I've had worse, but that was unpleasant after many years of not being faced with massive bleeding. I knew Heero was eyeing me. He was always looking for a reason to pick me apart. I regarded him as a very close friend after so many years, but that didn't change him into a nice guy by any means. Of course, I am no angel either. I antagonize as much as the next pilot.

"So, how's your head?" Heero spoke and I eyed him suspiciously. I knew there was a joke coming. I just had to nail it before he did and with a little quick thinking and prediction on my part, he was easy to figure out.

"Don't worry Heero, I'm keeping track of how much my brain swells. It's large enough already. I wouldn't want my skull to crack." I grinned against Treize's shirt. He smelled strangely like roses…

"I'll get you next time, Merquise."

"I await the challenge, Yuy."

We ran into Noin on the way out the door. She stopped and let us continue out of the room. She smirked and eyed me as if she were about to say something smart. I knew that look. Damn her.

"Hey, where's the dress?" She said with such sweetness. Fake sweetness. Horrible woman. "Did I miss the vows already?"

"You only think you're funny." I scoffed at her before Treize turned me away from her. He leaned close to her and with his best charms whispered to her, even though I heard it. He wasn't even _trying_ to be stealthy anymore.

"Darling, you'll be the first to know when I get him into a dress."

"You traitor!" I smacked his arm and squirmed.

"Hey, I thought I was going to be the first to know!" Duo whined from the other side of me. Treize looked over at him.

"You'll be the one standing next to him in the matching dress, Maxwell…"

Duo huffed along with me and folded his arms. "He's evil, Zechs. Pure unadulterated evil."

I nodded my head in agreement, "Though I'm not sure about the unadulterated part…He's pretty tainted if you ask me." I mumbled.

"Tainted, chéri? What could you possibly mean?" Oh, he tries to be charming. Usually it works… He's such a fiend. He carried me slowly once we came upon the steps. I would have hated for him to drop me down several flights of stairs. He didn't seem in the least bothered by carrying me, but I felt bad about asking him to do it. I wasn't heavy, but I wasn't light either.

"He's saying you're not only a demonic, soul consuming vampire, but you're a innocence thieving one at that." Heero offered, following last up the steps.

"In short terms…" Wufei chuckled, "You're a pervert."

"At least I'm not alone." Trowa snorted. I looked back and saw him shrug. I frowned at him and he saw it. He gave me that look that spelled 'I'm watching you'. I gave him a look that said—with equal clarity—'I'm on to you'. We've learned each other's eye language. It was a little frightening.

"I suppose you could be worse." I smiled softly, resting my head against his chest. For being the large, war-craving overlord he gave off an indescribable air of protection.

"Of course I could, love. I could have won the war, captured you, and publicly declared you my slave."

"I'm sure we all know what kind of slave we're talking about here." Duo chuckled and I itched to lean over Treize's shoulder to flick him in the head.

"Some how…I'm not really finding myself opposing this idea."

"Zechs!"

"What? It would be like being Queen, but with twice as much violent sex."

"You're reproachable." Heero shook his head. He stopped and somehow managed to beckon Treize to do the same with a single estranged look. "Treize, do you mind if I kidnap Zechs for a moment?" The tone in Heero's voice was strange, "I need to ask him something."

Treize looked as perplexed as I was, but I couldn't rightly tell Heero no. I nodded, reassuring my 'protector' that I was—in fact—a big boy and could handle myself. "Well, he seems to be up for the idea. Come claim your prize, Yuy." Treize grinned stupidly before he actually dropped me into Heero's arms. Surprisingly, Heero barely wavered. Damn kids… getting so strong.

"You guys go on ahead. We'll catch up." My new 'owner' said and I scoffed, kicking my foot harmlessly at Treize who would not stop giving me that sappy 'I love you' look. He demoted my masculinity—or what was left of it—by looking so sappy all the time! It wasn't far. How could he look sappy and yet maintain is manly dignity, while I suffered the slow non-literal process of damn near becoming a woman!

Heero abruptly swished around. I almost fell out of his arms and I know he did that on purpose. "You know, treating the torch in such a manner is reprehensible!"

"That only applies in the Olympics. You're hot Zechs, but I have yet to see fire spark off you." He snorted. _Clever, Yuy, but I'm not finished yet. _

"Oh you just wait until I get into the kitchen again. Then you'll see!"

He snorted again. That was a habit of his. I was a little surprised when he kicked open a random conference room door. Luckily it was empty, otherwise that might have been difficult to explain. He walked casually to the large bored rectangular table sitting in the middle of the room. Yes. I did just describe a table as being bored. He took no time in dropping my ass on it. Well, actually he was much nicer about it than that; but he still lacked the soft touch required to _not _cause me more grief.

I sat myself straight, mumbling an obscenity or two for good measure. "So what's with the sudden kidnapping, Heero? That's not like you. I mean, if you wanted to get kinky…you could have just asked."

"Don't tempt me, Blondie. I could easily throw you down on this table and make you writhe under me, if I felt so inclined."

"Oh please… you wouldn't do it."

"Only because baka would be mad that he couldn't watch."

"What am I to you people? Everyone's walking wet dream?" I snorted. Sometimes, it was a pain in the ass being the primary 'eye candy' as Duo eloquently puts it.

"Pretty much. You don't want to know what Trowa dreams about doing to you… well…more like you _and _Quatre…at the same time. I think he just likes blondes."

My face threatened to flush at the very idea. "What did you want to talk to me about, Heero?" I tried the tactical subject change.

"You're drinking again." He stated.

I froze.

"I've noticed it before, but I've not gotten a chance to say anything. Your reaction to what I had said earlier about you drinking like a fish only made it more solid."

"Why now Heero? Why bring this up now and here of all places?" I replied with a meekness I didn't usually have.

"Because, quite frankly, you're in shit condition, what with the head injury, and you're not in the spirits to fight me."

I turned my head a little. I hated him for being so perceptive. I had even managed to keep Treize out of it. There are just some wounds too hard to heal. Alcohol has a numbing effect. When I was drunk… I didn't have to feel. "I'm fine." I simply stated, but I knew there would be more argument out of him.

"You're not fine. Baka is worried about you, but he's too much of a chicken ass to address the problem."

"Or maybe he's trying to stay out of my business." I frowned.

He surprised me a little when he slammed his hand down beside me on the table. The smack echoed through the room and it was his wordless way of telling me to shut up. But I was feeling defiant that day.

"You are our business, Zechs!"

"Well I haven't done anything to danger my health yet, so what's to fucking worry about!?"

"Duo told me all about you, Merquise. How long had you been living without giving two shits about your life? Old habits die hard, maybe? Or there's something you're not telling us! You only relapsed once in the last six years, but what's driving you to it now?"

I glared at him, but I made no move to stand or move close enough to choke him—like I wanted to. "For one, you wouldn't understand. Secondly, as long as I'm not drinking myself into a coma, what does it matter!?"

"It matters, Zechs. And I promise my soul on it, that if you don't keep yourself in check…if you get worse… I will tell Treize and he will not like that at all."

"You couldn't wait to attack me at a different time, could you? I have several stitches in my head and you're bitching at me about a drink or two." I scoffed. He was making me seem much worse than I was.

"Wild Turkey is not a drink or two Zechs and we both know it."

"I'll fix it when I'm ready," I replied. It wasn't a promise, but it was some form of reassurance.

He sighed, dropping his shoulders from their offensive position. "I'm just worried about you. You seem to fail at realizing the impact you make on us. It's not like it was before, you know. We've all changed. But you….you try to stay behind. Like you're afraid you may become someone that everyone will have the chance to love." He leaned forward and—in a rare gesture—he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "I'll drop the subject for now, but we're not done with this topic. Just promise to take it easy for a while? I don't know how long we would survive if Treize caught on to your distressed mental state."

"He's the only person I know who can actually rape someone with love alone." I sighed and he chuckled. I leaned my head against his shoulder.

"There was actually something else I wanted to ask you."

"Oh? So this wasn't just a rag on Zechs because he's a drunk?"

"A secret drunk, mind you. Who apparently speaks third person."

"Okay, Smartass. What's the question?"

His demeanor returned to serious and he moved back to look at me in the eye, "did you know that the person who shot you was the one from the picture? Is that why you knew so quickly that that picture wasn't you?"

"You're perceptive aren't you?" I asked, raising a brow at him. He smirked like the cocky bastard he'd become over the years.

"I can read you like an open book with a type twenty font and double spaced."

"Am I really that easy?"

"Heh…Oh you're not easy, all right. Other wise, by now Trowa would have-"

I fake coughed loudly, "Allow me to rephrase that. Am I really that easy **to read**?" I had to give him a point though…that was a well-placed response. Damn pervert. They're all perverts.

"You had a look on your face when you said that you saw the person. Not to mention you kept looking at that picture. I figured that you must have thought, for some reason, that there was a connection. Only you have the reflexes to have seen as much as you did."

"I was concerned. Even though I only saw the man's eyes, because of the shades; but they were bright blue. I know that's not much to go on, but they had that same look that the man in the picture did. And I'm still wondering why the hell they're dropping pictures at us like this? If they really wanted to kill me, they could have done it by now! Why go through the effort to prove that my very lifestyle is documented? They should know better than to think that would intimidate me. Not only am I a war veteran, but also I grew up the son of a king! To have my life regularly violated without my knowledge is nothing serious to me."

"Then they have to have another motive." Hero suggested. He was on the same train of thought that I was. If anyone was going to be with me on this, it was Heero.

"I don't seriously think they wanted to kill me. I think that was their way of getting our attention."

"Talk about a way of doing it. I guess they had faith in your ability to not die."

"They assumed Treize bit me."

"…True, vampires are hard to kill…" he paused thoughtfully, "he did bite you, didn't he?"

"Many times." I smirked.

"I knew it."

"You know, 'Hee-chan', if you keep me in here…they're going to think you're doing bad stuff to me." I teased. Using the 'Duo' voice was the best way to aggravate the so-called 'perfect soldier'.

"For all you know, I could be planning to lock that door and make you my bitch," he replied by whispering in my ear. I shivered.

"Why am I always the bitch in these situations?"

"Because you look better on the bottom."

I sat up straighter and folded my arms, "and how would you know?"

"I walked in on Treize having his way with you…remember?"

"…oh yeah.…" I stuttered. I'm a very calm person, but that was enough to make my face a little hot. That had been so embarrassing. It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been Duo or Quatre who saw that, but it was Heero. He would never let me forget the fact that I apparently scream like a woman. "Oh go attempt suicide, Yuy." I muttered, "it's not my fault."

"Hey, you're the one who asked why you're always the bitch." He gave me a smug look.

"You're a pain in the ass." I said looking at him from the corner of my eye.

"Yes, well this pain in the ass needs to return you to your rightful owner." He replied. He gave me no warning before he suddenly pushed my side ways and pulled me off the table, easily dropping into his arms. I glared up at him. "I need to give you back the way I got you, no?"

"I'll get back at you."

He chuckled, "I'm sure you will."

As sure as he said, he carried me back out into the open. The others were already coming back out of their rooms after acquainting themselves with the. I quickly noticed that Treize was wrapped in a large sheet. I questioned this until Wufei came out of his room throwing pillows at him and screaming something about him being a thief. Duo and Quatre were the first to approach while Trowa did damage control on the other two. Quatre wasn't fooling me. I knew he could tell that walking wasn't a pleasant idea for me. Naturally he was worried over it.

"Zeeeeeeeechs," Duo drawled, bouncing next to me. "Can I possibly coerce you into braiding my hair?"

I laughed, "Duo, you had been braiding that mess of hair for years, and now suddenly you can't do it unless I do it for you?"

"You have the magic touch, Blondie." He whined.

"I should have never let you be aware of my mad braiding skills."

"You're starting to sound like Wufei."

Speaking of whom, Wufei appeared not but a moment later with a look of irritation plastered on his Asian face. Treize was always finding some way to harass him in the same manner I harass Heero, or how Trowa harasses me. We had a silent rivalry of stupidity going on.

"You need to restrain your significant other, or he'll be significantly _dead_." He mumbled to me, but glared Treize into his minds own oblivion.

"You can't do a thing to me, Chang." Treize challenged.

"Oh I could do a number of things." He grinned looking down at me. I repressed a small yelp when I found myself being—once again—shifted to someone else's possession. He was wicked about it though, and had no trouble throwing me over his shoulder.

"Aaaaaaaaaccck. Treize!" I cried pathetically.

"Come get your damsel in distress, Kushrenada!"

"Treeeeeeeize, you sorry bastard! Come save me!" I whined. At least Wufei didn't hold me with an iron grip. I think that would have killed me at that point. Wufei stepped back while Treize approached. _Oh god. They're going to duel over me! Someone stop this! _I whined in my head.

"Hey, you forgot me!" Duo's voice drew my attention and I looked straight in front of me and there he was with that 'I'll help you' look splattered across his face. I held my arms out and he took my hands and pulled his body weight against Wufei's grip. The three of us toppled over. I landed on top of Wufei and I couldn't resist a smirk when I took a moment to look him in the face.

"Using me in such a way! It's reproachable, as Heero would say! But, in a strange way, kinda sexy." I leaned forward just enough to give him a teasing kiss on the cheek. "Remember I have allies too." I winked and looked back at Treize with an even bigger smirk. I saw that look in his eyes. If I didn't get away quickly I was likely to be dragged off to a dark place where no one would be able to hear me scream. Shit.

"Zechs!" Duo prodded me and I jumped up, using him as support and we darted away from Treize. Wufei stood up and suddenly it dawned on me that perhaps the two of them would combine efforts against my new 'ally' and I.

"Have you no restraint?!" My feeble protest.

"Of course not, chéri. You know that."

"Hee-chan, save us." Duo pleaded, but it seemed that Heero was standing indifferent.

"He can't save you now, Maxwell." Wufei taunted.

Well, that wasn't true. I leaned against Duo warily and it was that moment I decided to use my unintentional trump card. Without even being fully aware of the sudden stress the playful activities were putting on me, I blacked out from fatigue.

**To be continued…  
**

* * *

_Leo: Don't endings like that just piss you off? This is the first time I've ever written as Zechs, so naturally it's going to be a little out o character, forgive me if it was. I've sculpted him into a difference character than most people do. Next chapter starts us back on Heero, so we'll see what happens then! The next three chapters are CRUCIAL. A lot will happen in a short time. So stay tuned. These chapters will probably get written fast because I'm looking forward to them!_


	5. 05 Heero

**No Sound in Space **  
_Chapter Five_

Heero

I leaned over Zechs and patted his face gently. He had been leaning against Baka and then he just went down. He was laying stomach down with his head turned my way and he breathed heavily. It wasn't until about five minutes passed, that he actually opened his eyes. He looked a little confused or even a little dazed. I should have known he was trying to mask his discomfort the moment he willingly allowed Treize to carry him. He was just very convincing when trying to make us believe he was okay.

"I'm fine…" He mumbled airily. He sounded short of breath and he really expected us to believe he was okay.

"You're clearly not okay, chéri." Treize countered. He was on the other side of Zechs with a hand gently rubbing the blonde's back. "Perhaps you should get rest now. We weren't thinking correctly, chéri. Putting you through such stress."

"Perhaps it's not your fault, Treize, but the one who didn't tell us he was feeling unwell?" I offered, looking the blond in the eyes by hunching over a little. He shot me an unfeeling glare.

"I'm fine…" He mumbled again putting his face against the cold tile. "I'm not going to sleep." He argued. He's a stubborn man. It's no wonder Treize had such trouble with him.

"Then at least relax a little. We're not asking for a miracle from you, Zechs." With the help of Treize, I managed to get him turned over and pulled into a sitting position. He was acting very indignant and resisting; but between the two of us, there wasn't much he could do. "You're lucky you didn't bust your head open." I snorted.

The blonde put a hand on my chest and tried to push me away. Again I say, tried. "It's just a head wound. Like I haven't had them before."

"Yes, but there was a time you were smart enough to know when to take it easy."

"You're mean, Heero, you're very mean."

"You sound like a child."

"Duo, your boyfriend is picking on me, make him go away!"

"Chéri, he's not wrong I'm afraid. You're much more self destructive than you used to be."

"Whose side are you on, Treize?!" Zechs gave him the secret eyes of doom. Duo had always referred to them as such; because when Zechs gave the ex. Oz leader that look, there was nothing that could stop him from melting into a pool of 'I love you, Zechs'. We'd seen it a million times.

"Love, you know I am on your side always!"

"Carry me?" That blonde had a way with Treize that I will never comprehend. No other person in the universe could make that man do half of what Zechs did. That was devotion to frightening amounts…much like baka's devotion to me.

"You know there's not a thing I wouldn't deny you." He lifted Zechs from the floor with a little aid for initial balance. They looked right for each other, as strange as it sounds from someone like me.

"Those two are so cute." Duo bubbled along with Quatre. Those two are walking proof that a man can simultaneously be a man and a woman at the same time without having physical evidence of the female factor. "Hee-chan, you never carry me!"

"You're never shot in the head." I looked at him with a brow raised. "Besides, I give you plenty of things to make up for it." I smirked suggestively and he buried his face in Quatre's shoulder to try and hide the blush from me. As if I couldn't see it. I pressed on, coming close to his ear so only he could hear me, "and you never complained when I had you shrieking my name into the starry sky when I had my way with you on the balcony."

"H-Heero…when did you become such a teasing bastard?" He replied, face redder than the shirt Zechs was wearing that day. He slipped out of Quatre's direct vicinity and turned to face me full on. I brushed his long hair over his shoulder.

"I spend much more time around Treize these days."

"Oh," He said leaning into my touch. "So now you're just a pervert, eh?" He mewled at me. The submissive ones always seem to mewl. Duo mewls… Quatre mewls… even Zechs mewls for god's sake! Damn it…now that word sounds weird.

"You could say that." I leaned close enough to brush a light and teasing kiss along his jaw. He squirmed like he always did. He was so easily dominated. I can't really say that wasn't something I liked. I liked it a great deal.

"_Ahem_. Boys, you have rooms for that now." The voice of Noin broke my concentration. Granted, it doesn't take much concentration to seduce my brunette lover. We both looked up. I'm sure he felt as busted as I did. Not that we were doing anything wrong. Yet.

"Oh, like you wouldn't watch, Noin." Zechs muttered in a teasing tone.

"I would." Trowa offered.

Wufei snorted in amusement, "We all know you would."

"Well, if you're all done with the foreplay; we've had meals brought up for you. I hope you're not mad, Quatre, but we're having our Preventers inspect your home." She spoke seriously. For a moment we needed to remember why we were even there.

"Of course not. All I want is for them to figure out what's going on. I wouldn't want to go back there if it's unsafe."

"Someone say food?" Duo perked up and I could actually feel it in his posture, because he was leaned against me.

"Food sounds damn good right now." Wufei added with a yawn.

"No damn it! Don't…" Zechs yawned before he could complete the sentence. "Yawn! Don't you know yawning is like a disease?!" Trowa yawned afterward and Zechs shot Wufei the accusatory glare.

"Don't blame me!"

"You yawned!"

"Now, now children," Treize spoke softly, but his voice always held a tone of authority, "let's eat shall we?"

"I like that plan!" Duo babbled happily. Food always made him happy.

"As opposed to being tossed about like a helpless doll, I'm for it." The blonde bundle in the man's arms muttered.

"Zechs…" I snorted, "You _are_ helpless these days."

"I resent that…you know what, put me on my feet. I can walk all by myself!"

Wufei interjected before I could snap a response, "You're just going to end up on your face if you do that."

"Yeah, but at least that's the more prideful way to go. Since I've _only_ been shot in the head. It's nothing serious." Blonde bundle looked at Treize expectantly. He was waiting for Treize to comply. "Treize…." He warned lowly.

"I must agree with Chang, love. You blacked out less than ten minutes ago."

"For like five minutes!"

Duo snickered and shook his head, "Only you would make that seem like it was acceptable."

"Put me down or I will never forgive you!" He glared hard at Treize.

"Very well…" The man replied hesitantly, "but you're not moving out of my direct grasp. If you fall, I _will_ catch you."

Treize complied and slowly set Zechs back on his feet. Man, seven years ago I would have laughed myself into a damn coma at that sight. Neither of them were as intimidating as before…Though Treize played a mean game of tennis. You'd never think a man like him was into that kinda sport. In response to Treize following Zechs's demand, Zechs followed Treize's and stuck close to him. He looked so small compared to Treize.

Zechs turned to the taller man, "thank you. My dignity was being questioned by a certain someone." He meant me. "And you're a man who understands." He traced an absent pattern on Treize's shirt.

"I'd do anything for you, you know that." He leaned closer to Zechs.

It should have felt weird watching two people who had at one time been fierce enemies show each other such affection, but after five years it seemed normal. But I tell you one thing, if Treize had stuck his tongue any further down Zechs's throat it would have incited a gag reflex; assuming Zechs even had that reflex anymore. I don't really want to think about that.

"Hey, will you two cut that out for a minute," Noin interrupted again.

"Don't stop them." Trowa replied. Quatre tugged on his arm and he pouted in that way only Trowa can. Stoically.

I rolled my eyes and clapped my hands to get their attention, "hey you two. Save your appetite for dinner, not each other."

Zechs pulled away from Treize's face—much to the disappointment of Trowa. That pervert. The blonde glanced over at me and grinned. Here came the challenge: "What's wrong Heero, jealous?"

"I have my own someone to suck face with, thank you very much."

"Oh? Then maybe I should see if he's doing you justice…" He looked over at Duo, whose face changed colors instantly.

"I wouldn't say no…" He muttered.

"Baka!"

"Oh come on Heero…It's Zechs! He was option two if you told me to go fuck myself, instead of doing it for me!"

Blondie cackled, "I don't know whether to be flattered or laugh at your embarrassing moment, Heero…"

"Oh shut up." I grumbled and looked over at Wufei. He was looking over the balcony. We were on the third story. Over the railing was a large open space, like a lobby. It made it easier to surveillance things, rather than having all of the floors identical to the ground floor and adding in extra elevators. Something seemed to perplex Wufei, but he didn't say anything. So instead I asked him; "Something wrong?"

"I could have sworn I saw someone down there a minute ago." He said and apparently it was loud enough for Noin to over hear.

"No one should be down there. We have the secondary branch open for people to contact us…and most of our staff is on surveillance."

"I was probably just seeing things. Easy to be paranoid when you've had someone shot at, neh?" He turned with a teasing smile to Zechs.

"I'm never living this down am I. Well, you know what. At least I saw the gun go off! Unlike any of you."

I shrugged, "He's got us there, Fei."

A knock on one of our door made us look to the sound. Une was watching and she seemed impatient. I think she was more concerned than anything else though. "Get in here and eat the damn food brought to you."

"Oooh, getting saucy on us Lady Une. You can be assured I will make sure it gets eaten!" Duo offered. Typical of him. He turned to me with those large amethyst eyes and smiled sweetly. "Food?"

"Yes, Baka. Let's go." I haphazardly loop my arm around his. I craned my neck to the others. "Coming or what?"

The seven of us—damn seven…what a crowd—obeyed Une's order for us to find our way to our food. She was only like that when she was worried. It was concerning me particularly, because I meant that they hadn't found anything yet. I wanted to know so many things, but there were no answers for them yet. We wound up all crammed into Wufei's borrowed room. It wasn't actually as 'borrowed' as you'd think. He was the only one of us that didn't have someone particular to return home to on those nights when the Preventers worked late. So he just stayed in that room, from what I gathered. We'd managed a workable setup though, for as small as the room was. We were not an easily separated bunch. Duo, Wufei and Zechs sat on the bed. Treize sat at Zech's feet next to Trowa, who had Quatre comfortably rested in his lap. I sat on the only chair in the room, next to the bed where Duo was. We all had plates and no table manners to go with it. Une left after she realized we were all typical males; talking with our mouths open and making sick jokes that you probably shouldn't while eating.

"This feels like a sleep over." Quatre chuckled.

"Heh, you know what people do at sleepovers, right?" Duo nudged Quatre.

"We're not playing truth or dare." Wufei interjected any response that could have come.

Duo blinked slowly. I'm sure he was wondering how Wufei guessed what he was thinking. "…You're no fun Fei!"

"You're absolutely right. I am the opposite of fun. I kill happiness and enjoy doing it. In fact, I'm the death of fun. Fear me."

"For someone who's the death of fun, you're rather funny." Zechs poked Wufei with his fork. Wufei recoiled with an utterly false look of horror.

"Do you know where that thing's been!?"

"In my mouth?"

"And do you know where _that's_ been!?"

I could see the wicked mirth come alive in Zechs's face and I didn't even have to hear it to know what the next comment was going to be. "Ask Treize. He'll tell you." He ran a hand along Treize's shoulders and Quatre coughed and nearly choked on the shit chicken Une served.

Before taking a bite, Trowa added: "And you call me a pervert."

Zechs winked with as much sweetness as a man like he can muster, "you've taught me well Trowa."

"Thank you for teaching him that tongue trick, by the way." A grin gingerly crossed Treize's face and Quatre and Duo both choked on their drinks.

Trowa nodded, sipping his own soda, "you're welcome."

"Okay, let me lay down the ground rules now," The Chinese pilot crossed his arms and looked at the offenders, "No sex in my room, and that includes foreplay Mister Kushrenada."

"Why target me? I'm innocent."

"You're full of shit, is what you are."

"Innocent?" Zechs snorted loudly, "Oh Lord if you're innocent than I am a damn saint—no, a God!"

Treize leaned an arm back to brush through the long locks of blonde, "you may as well be, chéri."

"You are a sappy bastard, Treize." I laughed.

A soft tapping on the door silenced the group. Sally was standing in the doorway. There was a look on her face that spoke volumes and when we saw it, we all paid attention. It seemed she had news about something that would be deemed important to us. She had files in her hand and she stepped into the room. "We found something interesting in your home." She said, cutting to the quick. Unlike Noin, she got to the point directly. She was a good match for Noin, in the same aspect that Zechs was good for Treize.

"What did you find?" Quatre asked, quietly as he usually does.

"Well, the photos were all taken by hidden camera bots. They're about as large as pinhead, but they have incredible range and picture quality. There must have been thirty of these things in your home and we're still not sure we found them all. I don't know when an intruder would have had time to install these, but they did thorough work."

I shook my head at her words, "that explains a lot. No one would have been able to snap photos in person and not have us see them."

"Even stranger…there was nothing else. Other than the cameras, nothing else was found in your home." She looked around quizzically. "Not to offend you Zechs, but we've already deducted that it couldn't be you staging it. Naturally you were a suspect because everything seems to point in your direction."

"I feel fucking loved."

"Don't feel that way. We're being given evidence that doesn't help you at all. Though we found several strands of blonde hair in the remains if the car that matches yours, but have been ruled out as yours because of the chemical in your hair that it lacks."

Zechs looked up, "You mean to tell me that having my hair accidentally dyed, saved me from being accused of staging something like this?"

"Pretty much."

"Lucky fucking me."

"There's also something we wanted to show you, but Lady Une won't let me take them out of the room."

I leaned forward, "can we go and see what they are then?"

"Of course. You can leave your mess here, though." She laughed.

"Yeah, leave it in _my_ room," Wufei snorted, but hopped off the bed, holding his hands out as an offering to help Zechs to his feet. Zechs took his hands and the Chinese man pulled him up like he was nothing. Zechs and Wufei then—together—forced Treize to his feet by each grabbing an arm.

He barely protested but he did chuckle; "Ah, no need to man handle me."

I pulled Baka from the bed and we helped Trowa and Quatre up. It was a small room but we'd managed to pretzel ourselves in well. Now getting up and filing out was different. I followed Sally out first, because I was more impatient than the others. Trowa was right behind me and the rest followed in a random order. Duo took his place beside me, only stopping to give me a short look for leaving him behind.

Sally walked backwards as she spoke, "I'm sure whatever is going on can be explained, but I think it would be the wisest choice for all of you to avoid making quick guesses right off the bat."

"We're pilots Sally, we're smart people." Wufei muttered. He wasn't too fond of Sally from what little I gathered. It was more of a mutual tolerance and a tolerance that had decreased a little over the years.

"I know, but I still want to make sure that you're not going to jump to conclusions. We found some rather estranged evidence in combination with that car and your home. More the car than your home, obviously."

The chatter continued and eventually became bickering between Sally and Wufei, but I wasn't paying attention. I had vaguely heard a click and I stopped. I wasn't sure if it was my mind playing tricks on me, but it made me very uncomfortable and paranoid. I knew that sound. The sound of a pistol clicking.

"Did anyone hear that?" I voiced and Trowa stepped closer to me.

"You heard it too?"

Then we all heard it. A loud crack through the air signified that someone had just shot a gun. Everything went deadly silent again save for the sound of the pistol hitting the tile. I looked to the far end of the stair rail and caught only a quick glimpse of someone running. A flash of light blonde hair alarmed me to degrees I couldn't express at that moment.

"TREIZE!"

I whipped my head toward the group and my hesitance faded into a panic. I moved toward them, pushing my way by Quatre and Duo. Treize was on the floor and Zechs was half under him.

There was blood. Lots of it.

**To be continued…**

* * *

_Leo: Just so you all know…I yawned no less than 6 times while writing that bitch fest about yawning…It really IS a damn disease. (And I Just yawned again, DAMN IT) _

_I know, that was a terrible place to stop that chapter. I'm sorry. I know many of you are probably going to like stab me figuratively for what will happen over the next few chapters. This story is going to be a lot more involved than my last one, so there will be light moments (like the chapters before this) and then there will be dark chapters as well. Let me know how you feel about my plot twists guys!_


	6. 06 Duo

**No Sound In Space**  
_Chapter Six_

Duo

There was a loud bang. Undeniably a gun and I wasn't sure where it came from, but I knew whom it was aimed at when Treize dove in front of Zechs. I was too shocked to even make a sound. Zechs however, was not too shocked. He was more horrified. I had never heard a shriek of that octave come from him. Treize fell back into him, he dropped down with the man, holding his shoulders and trying to support him. His legs were under Treize, but he stayed upright. There was blood splattered on Zechs's face and his arms were covered. Heero came over at about that time. He saw the blood and he looked alarmed. Well, as alarmed as he looked behind his natural mask of indifference. He knelt close to the wounded and did the standard check for pulse, heartbeat and breathing.

"He's still alive. Someone, get some medical attention out here now!" Heero barked orders, but it was a good thing he did, because no one else was in their right mind. Trowa and Wufei both ran with Sally toward where I was sure they'd find Lady Une. Quatre tried to help Heero with slowing the bleeding in Treize's chest. That left me to tend Zechs.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and I could feel he was shaking. He hadn't broken his watch on Treize. His hands were gripping the material on the shoulders of the older man's shirt. "T…Treize…" He shook more than before.

It was amazing that Treize was able to open his eyes. He watched Zechs tiredly and blinked slowly. After several minutes of quiet, he seemed to gather the strength to talk, "…you…you're not injured…are you, love?" He whispered.

"You idiot…" Zechs choked in a partial sob.

"Don't be mad."

"Stop talking, Treize." Heero ordered, "You need to save that for when you're healed." He looked over his shoulder. I looked in the same direction and saw what he saw. Help. Trowa and Wufei were with two doctors and they had one of those nifty stretchers for moving patients in hospitals.

They were very careful while they moved him. There was no denying that the loss of blood was enormous. Zechs was sopping a good deal of it up by being underneath him. They laid Treize out on the stretcher and before Zechs could even get to his feet they were wheeling him into the nearest room they could set up as a quick medical area. Zechs reached out but failed to get off the floor fast enough. He was staring down at the pool of blood blankly now and I tried to reach him, but he was in shock.

"Zechs? …He's going to be okay…He's in doctors' hands now." I tried to be soothing. There didn't seem like there was much I could do. I knelt next to him and stayed close. I pulled my arm back and I realized that it was covered in blood as well. It hadn't occurred to me that Zechs had been clipped too. He wasn't with it, so I patted his shoulder and pinpointed his wound. He was bleeding from the shoulder. It shot through both of them. If Treize hadn't thrown him out of the way, Zechs would have been dead with no chance at all.

"Is he okay?" Heero looked down at me. He was trying to wipe his hands clean of blood. There was just so much of it.

"He's injured and he's not responding."

Heero dropped to one knee and gently brushed the stray strand of hair out of Zechs's face. He tried to draw some attention away from the entrapment of the man's mind. "Zechs? Try to hear me. You're going through shock. We need to get you treated." He spoke slowly.

"I want to be with Treize…" He whispered coherently enough but the look in his eyes was frightening. "He can't be alone…"

"He's got the best doctors with him now Zechs. I promise." Heero motioned to me over the blonde's shoulder and I helped him slowly pulled Zechs from the stained floor.

"He can't die…Heero…he can't."

The female figure that proved to be Lady Une appeared within moments. She looked as shaken up as the rest of us, but no one was nearing the stage of hysteria that Zechs was. Despite his lack of tears, he already feared the worst.

"Une, don't ask right now." Heero clipped. There was no need to start a scene over what had happened. If Une blamed Zechs, then there was no telling who might have gotten hurt. "Are you having the perimeter searched?"

"I have the building surrounded."

"Well, keep an eye out for a blonde, because I saw the shooter. Not very well, because he was in the shadows, but I saw enough to identify him."

"A blonde?" I asked, looking at the blond strands of Zechs's hair as I ran my fingers through them.

"I think Zechs's look alike is getting personal. That's the second time today he's been shot at." Heero explained, walking forward slowly. The blood dripping to the floor concerned me more and more.

"Heero…"

"I know, Baka. Une, please get Noin. She's trained in emergency medical and he needs it. Again."

Lady Une nodded her head. I think in that case it was acceptable for Heero to bark an order or two. This situation definitely called for it.

"Zechs…come on big guy…" I cooed softly. I knew better than to assume he was just stunned. Heero didn't know the things I knew about him. He had lost Treize once before, and—while I didn't realize it before—I knew now what effects it had on him. When we first set out to rebuild the Gundams he was unstable as all hell. Because of Treize. This must have been like a horrible blast from the past. He nodded and blinked slowly. Eventually he came to shake his head a little and the focus began to return. He was still out of it, but he was more coherent. He looked up at me and I wanted to stab myself at the utter agony in his eyes. It was heart wrenching. If Treize didn't make it…Zechs would be destroyed by it.

"He's not dead, Zechs." Heero spoke with more sympathy than I'd heard from him in a long time.

"W-where is he?" He spoke lowly but his voice was rising alarmingly quickly, "where is Treize?" He turned around and his hands gripped the sleeve of my shirt so tight I thought it was going to rip.

The soothing voice of my favorite Chinese man echoed across the bloodied hall; "They've taken him to stabilize him." Wufei stepped toward us, walking over the long puddle of blood, and went directly to Zechs. The gentleness he displayed suggested that all was not as well as he was trying to portray. He reached forward with both of his hands and put a hand on each of Zechs's cheeks. There was no way the blonde could look away from him. "Listen to me. They are doing their absolute best for him right now. You need to get looked at. Please cooperate."

Zechs wavered and tried to pull back from Wufei, but failed. "I want to see Treize!" He argued, fully snapping back into reality and sounding terrified of the possibilities.

"Zechs…don't fight me. I can't put you in your place if I need to. Right now, Treize needs to be left in the doctor's hands." Fei was trying to be reasonable. He was the most levelheaded person I'd ever met. I mean, sure Heero was levelheaded, but Wufei was also less dense than Heero sometimes.

"But if Treize—"

"Stop, damn it! I promise you, the minute they've assured us that Treize is stabile I will personally come get you and take you to him! Then you can super glue yourself to him for the rest of eternity!"

Zechs leaned against Wufei for support when he slid in a splotch of blood. They needed to clean that mess up, or someone was likely to get hurt. "He can't die…" He whispered staring down at Wufei's shirt. He was quiet for a moment and I moved around to Wufei's other side. Heero stayed where he was. If we needed to move him, I wanted to be ready for it.

"He's strong, Zechs," Fei replied, soothingly patting his back. He mouthed to me over Zechs's shoulder to get ready. For what… I didn't know.

What Zechs said then alarmed us.

"It's my fault…"

He was blaming himself for being a victim! He was taking absolute responsibility for something he could not control! Treize had been the one to jump in front of him and yet, he was accepting himself as the supposed killer. He would never stop blaming himself and if Treize didn't live…he would never forgive himself either.

"It's not your fault, I don't know where you're getting that idea." Heero said softly. Sensitivity wasn't in Heero's book of talents (though everything else was) but he tried.

"It is my fault…none of this would have happened if…"

"Stop it, Zechs," Wufei said firmly.

"If I hadn't been targeted…"

"Which wasn't your fault!"

"…If I hadn't done half of the things I'd done…"

"Milliardo." Wufei's voice alone could have cut steel. "If you say another word then I swear on my sense of justice! So help me god, what I do to you!"

Zechs looked up swiftly. He appeared alert, but he had a dead look in his eyes. "If I can't see Treize…Go ahead then."

Before I had the chance to even blink, Wufei drew back his arm. He was getting irritated and a pissed off Fei was never a good thing. I gasped when I realized what Wufei was going to do. Neither Heero nor I were quick enough to restrain him before he socked Zechs in the gut with enough force to knock the man out of air and probably out of consciousness. Zechs coughed for air for a moment then slumped against the Chinese pilot. Heero and I stepped forward to help lift him carefully, so as to avoid the bleeding shoulder.

"Wufei, what the hell are you thinking?" Heero scolded. "He's already injured!"

"Look, I can't stand to listen to him blame himself for everything! This is not his fault! He needs a moment for his mind to refresh itself. And he can do it best if he's not conscious!"

Heero opened his mouth with every intention to argue against that. However, Lady Une returned with Noin and another stretcher. It was a good thing too, because Zechs was no longer with the alert world. He was still shaking. They carefully took Zechs in their care. I helped Heero move him and Noin quickly began to cut away the shirt. It was pointless to try and wrestle an injured and unconscious man out of his clothing. He mumbled a bit, but he wasn't waking up.

"He's lost a lot of blood." Noin informed. She inspected the wound and we moved along slowly toward the room next to Treize. It was better to keep the stats private. "You know, it seems that Zechs is always the one getting hurt when he's around you people." He looked to Heero and gave him a melancholy smile. Damn it, it was so true.

"That's what he gets for being beautiful." Heero snorted.

"Ah, so you admit it." She said idly. Lady Une opened the door and we wheeled him in. She followed us in and went straight for a cabinet. I noticed the things she was pulling out and I had to wonder if all of the rooms in the Preventor Head Quarters in Sanc had a full medical kit stashed in a cabinet.

I looked around hazily and I noticed the absence of Trowa and Quatre. That was odd. I hadn't been paying much attention, but I didn't see them leave or slip off anywhere. I supposed I Was just really focused on what was going on. Wufei gave me a questioning look. He looked so tired and a little frustrated still. Poor Fei. It was sad how much he cared about Blondie but failed to acknowledge that affection. Or a least that's what it seemed like.

"Where did Quatre and Trowa go?" I finally asked, just so he'd stop looking at me like I was retarded.

"They went to help with the perimeter watch. I don't think Quatre would have been able to contain his tears if he stayed."

A cough followed, "I think he'd kill us in the flood." Wufei's eyes widened and we both turned toward the source of the sardonic retort. Zechs was awake! Holy hell! His head was turned to the side and he was looking at us with half closed eyes. He looked like he was immobile.

"I, apparently, did not hit you hard enough." Fei sighed.

"A little internal bleeding won't kill me, but if you had hit me harder I'd probably be vomiting my pulverized internal organs all over the place." It was nice to hear a lighter subject from him, but he sounded so bitter. That sounded like the Zechs I'd first really gotten to know. When I met him after the New Years War and started helping him build the Gundams again. "I feel like I'm in a haze.

"Zechs? You remember everything right?" Heero asked gently.

Zechs replied bluntly, "Treize is dead, isn't he?"

"No! He's not dead! Relax, they're taking care of him!" I replied first. "You were having a bit of an episode before. I think you were a little hysterical or in shock. It seems a quick blackout rebooted your system."

"Do you remember anything passed being shot?" Heero nudged a little. It was something we needed to know. In the last five years, it'd come to our attention that every now and then, when he was on a particular low time, he could easily block out entire memories. If that were one of those moments, it would only make it more difficult.

"All I remember is the gun going off and hitting the floor."

"Don't talk Zechs," Noin interrupted. "The less you talk, the easier it'll be to clean this wound without making it worse."

"How bad is it?" I leaned forward to look.

"The bullet may have cleared through Treize, but that slowed it down. So it didn't go through his shoulder. We'll have to dig it out. How does that sound Zechs?" She asked, pressing the spot with a damp towel to clean up some of the blood. Lady Une, receiving the help of Wufei, pulled over a table to set out the medical supplies. She stepped back and made sure there was nothing she was missing. Because she always did that.

"Go check on Treize, Une." Heero said to her. "I know you want to."

"I'll be fine." Zechs assured. "Please…I need to know he's okay." If the look he gave her didn't break her heart than she's just not a woman, because that even broke my heart!

"Okay. I'll come back as soon as I know what's going on." She nodded and left out the door silently.

"Now Zechs, I know it's not your thing; but this is going to hurt, do you-"

"No painkillers."

"Alright, I knew that. I was just making sure." She said, pulling up a tall stool next to him. "Heero, can you bring that lamp over here? I'm going to need more light." Heero quickly and efficiently complied. That's my Heero for you. I moved to stand on the other side of Zechs.

"You going to be my moral support?" He asked tiredly.

"Only until Treize can." I said confidently.

Zechs closed his eyes while Noin began poking at his wound. I know it must have hurt, but if there was one thing I'd gathered in all of my time knowing Zechs, it was that he had a high tolerance for pain. With as many injuries as he managed, he'd have to. I took his hand calmly. He had been accustomed to my random displays of affection, so this really didn't alarm him. He hissed a bit here and there as Noin poked about.

"It's a little deeper than I thought. Sorry." She apologized.

"Don't be sorry." Zechs winced again. "Fish it out, girl, I know you can be more tenacious than this."

Noin smiled, "You asked for it tough guy." Even I winced when she forcibly cut the wound larger. She set the scalpel back on the table and reached for a pair of medial pliers or tweezers. I don't really know what they're called. "Does it hurt yet?" She asked.

"Nope." Zechs lied through gritted teeth. He was squeezing my hand and probably grinding his teeth flat. "I'm trained for this kind of thing, but damn it all…it's been a while."

"I guess we need to smack you around a bit to toughen you up again." Wufei added nonchalantly. He was wringing out a wet towel into the sink in the bathroom of the room. He shook it open and walked back over to us. "You always seem to be the center of the drama, you know that?" Fei slid up next to me.

"Don't hate me became I'm beautiful."

"I told you not to talk." Noin scolded.

Wufei silenced Zechs with a hand over his mouth, "It was my fault." He removed his hand but gave the blonde a look that said 'speak and you'll regret it'.

I felt Heero's hand on my arm and I knew he wanted to talk to me. I learned early on what each touch meant. I could read his expressions and I knew the tone of his voice like no one else. He pulled me toward the door, leaving a quick 'we'll be back' to appease them. Wufei was taking care of Zechs. They'd be fine. Hee-chan pulled the door shut behind us and turned to me. There was something very weird about him at that moment.

"Hee-chan? What's wrong?"

"I saw the man who shot at Zechs. I know I already mentioned it…but I think he's still here."

"What?" I replied, trying to keep my voice low; but it was an alarming idea.

"Une said she had the building surrounded…and with the Preventor formation, I know they could manage to have the place surrounded within minutes."

I remembered her saying something else though, "But she also said all of her team was dispatched to outside work!"

"She still had Noin and Sally here…so there must have been more people here already. Plus, Trowa and Quatre are out there with them. I doubt that anyone could escape out of here when the building is as locked down as it is. Only you could do it, I think. Stealth is your thing, but I don't think someone who's made himself so obvious could mimic that."

I contemplated it a moment and he was right, "I'll tale the compliment Hee-chan, but if he's still in the building…then aren't we in more danger?"

He was silent for a minute, "Yes. We are…and I know the suggestion will not go over well…but I think we need to split up the group and transport Zechs to L5 now. Even if he's not still here, I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Zechs won't go for that Heero. If that means leaving Treize, he won't do it. You know that as well as I do."

"He may not get a choice. I'd rather separate them for a short time than have a dead blonde on our hands. If Treize woke up to find out that Zechs got killed because we didn't act, I think he would drop his 'no kill' attitude quickly."

"I know…But…" A door opened and I stopped talking. I couldn't really think of what to say next. I glanced over to Lady Une. She didn't have tears rolling down her face nor did she have a dead look in her eyes, so I assumed Treize was doing better.

She closed the door quietly behind her and walked our way. She was looking around a lot, much like I was doing. Once something happens, you can't be too paranoid. She stopped a few feet from us. Her long hair and elegant face made her seem much nicer than she was capable of being. Sometimes the woman was just down right mean, but she had her heart in the right place I believe. "He's stable." She said simply.

I breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh that's great news!"

"Would he be able to be transported?" Heero asked. All business, that Heero of mine.

"At this moment, I don't think so. He's stable but teetering on critical."

"Then it's not necessary to risk it. We're thinking we may need to get Zechs out of here now."

"I think that's a great idea." She agreed.

I wasn't so sure it was.

**To be continued…**


	7. 07 Wufei

**No Sound In Space  
**_Chapter Seven_

_Wufei_

I was working on wiping off the blood splattered on his face. He looked so tired. I guess that was within reason. Shot in the head and then the shoulder. I couldn't help but be angry with the bastard who did it. I found myself feeling that way far too often in regards to things that happened to Zechs. I guess perhaps I held him in higher regard than most. I wasn't even sure why.

"How are you feeling?" Noin pressed once again. She kept asking, as if it was going to change much.

"Not much different. And you?" He retorted smartly.

"See if I care about you anymore, Mr. Tough Guy…Ah! I think I got it." She declared holding tightly to the medical pliers. "Get ready. I'm pulling it."

I thoughtfully held my hand down on his other shoulder in case he decided to involuntarily jump. He would have if I hadn't forced him in place. Some how, despite all of the damage to him, he still managed to look at least a little graceful in taking pain. I think he was far too accustomed to it. After all, it wasn't even a whole year since he'd crashed his Classic Lexus and broke his wrist. I was more shocked that the accident **wasn't** his fault, than I was that we were in an accident. He had just gotten his license back again. For a man who piloted so exceptionally well, he sucked as a driver. I vowed that to be the last time I ever rode with him as the driver.

"What are you thinking about?"

I looked down at the owner of the voice and chuckled, "Your driving skills."

He scowled, "Noin! He's picking on me-Oh AHHH! Ow, damn it, ow!"

"Sorry! I figured it would hurt for a lesser amount of time if I pulled it quickly!" She explained. The bullet was dropped onto the table and she put down the instrument. Another towel was pressed into the wound and she put her palm to his face. "You're un-killable aren't you?"

He sighed, "God knows, everyone has tried, it seems." He paused for a moment as if he were contemplating something. He looked over at me discreetly. I knew something was up, but I remained silent. It wouldn't be hard to wheedle it out of him later. He cracked worse than Maxwell. "You look sick, Noin, are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah. I'll be fine. I need to dress that wound before it bleeds anymore. You think you might be able to sit up? Thankfully your blood seems to replenish itself quickly."

"I can try, but I'm not making you promises." I watched him try to ease himself up on his elbows, but that was so not going to happen. I grabbed one of his arms and pulled him up. He winced, but he seemed to be less impaired by this method than his own idea for movement.

"Hang your legs over the side. It should making it easier for you to sit." She instructed. I helped him move side ways in order to do so. He had his back facing me and I had half a mind to tape a sign that said 'walking target' on him. Because he seemed to fill out that job magnificently. He exhaled and leaned back against me without giving me any warning. I almost fell over, but luckily for him I managed to regain my posture.

"If you let me fall on purpose, I swear I will make your life miserable when I can pick myself up off the floor." He mumbled, leaning his shoulder forward a little to make it easier for Noin to clean. I figured perfection wouldn't do much good here though. He was covered in blood, so there was no true 'clean' for him at that moment.

"Heh, I've already got my work cut out for me. I'll have you and Treize to wait on hand and foot. And Treize will never let me hear the end of it."

"If he had his way, you'd be in a nurse's outfit too. Hell, if I had my way, you'd be in a nurse's outfit."

"This is why I don't indulge you people." I snorted. I carefully pulled the long strands of hair out of his face and let is cascade down the back of his shoulder. "I'm sorry for hitting you."

"It was merely a kind reminder not to piss you off."

The door opened and I turned my head to the side. I could see Sally in my peripheral vision and it was all I needed in order to relax again. She was nothing to worry about. As long as I was with Zechs, had every intention to act paranoid, or rather not act but be paranoid. As Heero might see it, protecting Zechs was my mission. Even if I didn't have personal feelings in it, I would have at least owed it to Treize. Treize was the reason I didn't wind up crunched in that car wreck. I really feel pity on that Lexus. It was such a beautiful car.

"How are things coming along?" Sally asked, wiping her forehead.

"No major fuss here." Noin replied, looking up. "Mind taking over for me for a moment?"

"Sure." Sally stepped forward and took the reigns. Noin excused herself politely. She looked pale. Actually she looked a little sick. I had to wonder.

"How's Treize?" Zechs's deep voice echoed in that small room.

"I knew you'd ask." Sally smiled closing up the final wrap around his shoulders, "He's stable now. I just passed Lady Une in the hall. She was talking to Heero and Duo. I think she was going to tell you herself. He's borderline critical, but I'm sure that they'll let you see him soon. He's a fighter. There's no doubt. All he kept talking about was you. It wasn't very coherent, but he asked how you were so many times they had to actually force him into unconsciousness." She sat back and patted down the bandage to reassure it was in place tightly.

"That sounds just like Treize." I snorted lightheartedly.

Zechs exhaled deeply. I could feel the tension in him. It bothered me. That was the beginning another round of self-loathing. His love for himself was sorely lacking. A man like Treize doesn't pick and choose his lovers on a whim. Zechs had to know that. And yet he still managed to find the brainpower to proverbially hang himself. I was torn between comforting him and beating him straight minded. Since the second option didn't really help me, I obviously went for the first one.

I wrapped my arms around his neck gently and carefully, "Hey, relax. He's doing better."

"I know…I'm worried… Everything I ever do…some how manages to hurt him."

"That is not true." I argued, but I knew it was too late, because he was already started.

"It is true. He lost to you, because I did not accept his challenge…"

"And you could have both died, and nothing would have come of it. Had that happened, who would have saved our asses when Mariemaia was tricked? Who would have some how managed to help bring us all together? You know, you're half to blame for everything falling into place. Quatre even said so. Who would Trowa have to harass? Who else could defeat Heero Yuy in Tennis **and** Basketball! What would I do without my main entertainment in you and Treize? It may have injured Treize, but if you hadn't crashed the car, then we'd have probably been on the main drag when the explosions blew up those three sectionals when the terrorists decided to play." I proposed to him. You know, I may never ride in a moving vehicle that he's driving, but I do credit him for some how managing to save us from a fiery death or just plain out miserable experience.

"You make it sound like I'm a decent person." He muttered.

"You kick your self under the bus too much." I sighed, "Treize would have a fit if he heard you talking like this."

"He's right, Zechs." Sally smiled in agreement. "Cut yourself some slack."

"Easy for you to say," he hmphed, "you don't have to be me. You know, I have a meeting with the colony representatives as Milliardo in a week and I have a feeling I'm going to have to cancel that."

I leaned forward to look at him more directly. I wanted him to know that I was questioning his thought process when I replied, "I'm surprised that bothers you."

Sally pulled the stool back and began to gather all of the equipment, "Doesn't that ever feel weird to you? Talking about yourself in third person when you address each name?"

"I don't think I follow…" Zechs replied.

"I think she means: Doesn't it feel weird to say 'Milliardo' as if it's not you." I offered and she nodded. I knew what she was talking about. Only Zechs himself didn't find it weird that he referred to 'Milliardo' as if it were a completely different person.

"I don't find it weird at all…And I'm not bothered by canceling…but that messes with my schedule to meet with Earth's representatives as Zechs!"

"It must be a pain for you…having to switch back and forth so often." Sally carried the items to the small sink in the equally small bathroom. She didn't bother to take care, or to clean them. Merely dumping the load in the running water, she turned around. "How come you don't come forward and let the colonies and earth know you're the same?"

Zechs sighed, leaning back against me, "Because the colonies despise everything Zechs stands for and the Earth considers Milliardo a threat and probably a war criminal too. If I came forward now, not even Treize would be able to pull forth enough influence to keep me from being imprisoned. And while I probably deserve it…I can't help anyone if I'm imprisoned. At least as Milliardo, I can communicate with the colonies as a Peacecraft, with my father's ideals in mind. As Merquise, I have that Ex-OZ war hero thing going for me. People remember what we did in the New Year's War. As long as I keep my face hidden…"

"What crazy fool would want to hide your beautiful face?" I teased. "Besides, Treize could always keep upkeep the political standings with earth. I say you drop the farce and stick with 'Milliardo'."

"…One day…" He paused and I could feel the tension in his shoulders. That was odd. "I'll kill off the 'Zechs' part of me. But I don't think I have the courage to do that yet."

"Maybe then, you won't mind it when I called you Milliardo, neh?" I chuckled.

"Maybe…"

The old styled door creaked open behind us and the light footsteps could be heard. I didn't bother to turn around. I knew who it was by the sound of his movements. Only two people that I know could possible walk around together, yet only sound like one person walking. Heero was quiet, but Duo was silent. Stealth was that Baka's natural still. The blonde mess of a person in front of me yawned. Inadvertently he started the chain. I yawned in response and glared at him over his shoulder.

"Sorry, that was my bad." He apologized.

"Yes it was." I scowled.

Duo came up beside me and Heero walked around in front of Zechs. It was only natural that Heero would inspect the injured to make sure absolutely nothing was out of place. I believed he had OCD for that sort of thing. He had been the one to check endlessly on Baka when he took a graceful plunge down the stairs and right into poor Quatre. He learned quickly that Duo picked up sleepwalking in the times of peace.

"Do I meet your standards, Nurse Yuy?"

"Sarcasm only looks good on you're when you're not mentally panicking."

"I'm not panicking."

"Then you look good." He smirked.

"I thought so."

"They're bringing in a transporter." Heero said monotonously.

"Why?" The blonde mess asked.

"We're taking you to L5. Quatre, Duo and Wufei will go with you and Trowa and I will bring Treize when he can be moved. You're not safe here. Since you're the target, you need to get to safety."

I could feel the tension in Zechs's body. I knew he didn't like that plan the moment Heero made the indication that the intent was to separate Zechs and Treize. That was probably the worst idea for Zechs mentally, but the best for his safety. It was really a terrible split.

"No. I'm not leaving Treize behind."

"Zechs, you don't have a say in this. It's already arranged and don't think I won't knock your ass out to accomplish it. Treize will be fine."

"You don't know that!"

"You're right, I don't. But I do know that he has a better chance if you're elsewhere and the threat toward both of you is taken elsewhere!"

"Well," Zechs started, looking more serious than I'd seen him in a long time, "what would you do if it were Duo in this position?"

"You know very well what I would do. Because I'm making you take the same action. If you get sniped, Treize will never forgive me. Honestly, I'd rather be haunted by him for a reason other than letting you get killed."

Zechs sighed. I don't think he could argue with that logic. I don't think I would want to be haunted by Treize. It's not like he would be mean, but I think his ability to guilt people to death would be the painfully haunting aspect. In truth, the man could annoy you straight to insanity if he wanted to. Imagine that in a tireless, immortal and unkillable form...I could understand Heero's sentiments. Actually I think anyone could. So when Zechs rolled his eyes and conceded defeat, I wasn't surprised.

"I know you're worried, but this is the best option. You being near him is probably going to be more dangerous to him than you being away from him. You get me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." He said. "I'll go with it. But don't expect me not to complain and bitch until I can't think straight."

"...You already can't think straight." Heero smartly replied. He was getting quick on the response.

"You're not as funny as you think you are."

"Oh yes I am." He crossed his arms smugly. "Now come on. We've got a place for you to go. You won't be alone. You'll have these two to protect you. And Quatre can do that girl talking thing that you two always seem to do."

"You're pawning me off?" Duo blinked, giving Heero a sideways glance.

"Actually...yes. You'll be safer in space. Trowa and I are a bit tougher than you ladies."

"Excuse?" I frowned and coughed.

"Well, not you. You're going with them because we need someone capable of handling Blondie here."

Zechs snorted out a dark chuckle. He didn't sound anymore pleased than he did before. "What are you talking about?" He took in a breath. "I'm the biggest fucking push over here! You're capable of making decisions on your own. But I'm nothing without someone telling me what to do."

"You are not. You commanded an army for god's sake!" Heero's voice dropped low. He sounded dangerously close to getting into an argument.

"Is that so? And a grand job I did of that! I was just Barton's puppet. Following a plan that wasn't even mine to begin with. Let's face it Heero. I'm not a strong person like you are. I don't ever want to leave Treize again, but if you tell me to, I will do it. Don't ask me, just tell me." Zechs finished.

Heero was silent for a moment. I think he was as taken back as I was. I was contemplating on whether I should say anything or not. I couldn't argue against that really. Zechs was a strong person by front alone. But underneath that disguise he really was just another soldier. No much different than the rest of us used to be. I knew that the only possible way for him to accept leaving Treize was if someone were to order him to leave. Make it a command. That's the only way Zechs knew how to respond. He was trying to sort out his personal conflicts in his own way, it seemed. It had been a long time since we'd had to see that side of him again.

"Fine. It's in order." Heero complied. He knew all about Zechs' Soldier complex. He'd suffered the same thing for a long time. "You will go to L5. And you will leave within the next hour. It'll take about ten hours to get there. And you'll be in contact with us in that time, so there should be nothing to worry about. We'll make sure your stalker isn't in sight when you take off." The brunette assured.

"Can I see Treize before we leave?"

"I think that's probably a good idea." Heero nodded. He was thinking it was a good idea for assurance. As long as Treize was proven alive, then Zechs couldn't shut down again. "Duo, can you help wrap up his wound? Quatre's on his way with a change of clothes so Blondie isn't running around in blood soaked clothes. Wufei, can I talk to you in the hall for a sec?"

I sent him a questioning look and from the corner of my eyes I saw Zechs scowl. I know he didn't like being left out of anything. I wouldn't either. But I was sure enough that Heero had it figured out, that I was okay with leaving for a moment.

"When we come back, we'll take you to Treize. Okay?" Heero asked and the blonde man nodded silently. I was personally surprised he hadn't passed out yet.

I detached myself from Zechs grip. I hadn't even been aware that his hand had clung to my shirt sleeve until I had to pull away. I turned to Duo, "don't let him cause you any trouble. He's real troublesome."

"Jackass," Zechs kicked me gently in the leg as I walked toward the door with Heero.

I stepped out of the room and Heero gently closed the door. "What's up Heero?"

"Are you going to be okay with going back home since it's been rebuilt?"

I was a little surprised. Heero actually was concerned about my personal feelings about that place. "I think I'll be fine Heero. I still can't believe they rebuilt it, but it's not going to be the same as it was. As far as I'm concerned, it's not even L5 anymore."

"As long as you're okay with it…I mean, Trowa offered to go if you didn't want to…"

"And you really think and ass grabbing clown is going to make Zechs feel better?"

"Hey, I don't know what Blondie's fetishes are. You never know. But I think he's most comfortable with you. So while the rest of us are preparing to ship him out, would you take him to see Treize? He's not doing that well, but he is stable."

"Yeah, I'll take him." Great…give me the hardest task of all.

Watching my best friend's heart break. Perfect.

**To be Continued...**


End file.
